Forsaken
by Elemental Balance
Summary: What is family? Is it a last name shared by a group of people, or is it more than that? If one is abandoned, can the ties be reforged? Can the fires of hate behind one set of blue eyes be cooled by another?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer; I own neither Naruto, Shonen Jump, or any of the diamond mines in Africa. It's a crying shame on all counts. Really, there could be tears…

Author's note; Yes, I am still alive folks! Computer problems, writer's block, car issues, crazy penguins (I just watched 'Happy Feet' with my niece and nephew), the list goes on and on…

This is a response to an idea over on Hawk's webpage posted by DarkstarShadowrose (whom I'm hoping will continue the story 'Two of a Mind'). I have the author listed in my favorites, check it out! Also credit to website members Dhamphyr and ZeroHour, since part of their ideas are in this

'The Legendary Four' is not dead. Like I said, I had to replace my computer recently, and all my files for it were lost. I was planning a major update (something like four chapters, but now I have to rewrite the whole mess). I hope to have at least two up next week, so bear with me. I also have another story I hope to preview in about a month, so look for it!

Now, with every ado I can think of…

**Forsaken**

_Summary; When the Yondaime sealed away the Kyuubi, a clan in Konoha thought that it would receive great honor due to his wish. Instead, the child of the clan became a stigma to their house, so they left him to fend for himself. Gone was the child's mother, cousins, clan elders…and sister._

_Now, eight years later, the child will stare into the blue eyes that mark his 'clan'…but what fires burn behind blue eyes? Fires of love and forgiveness…or fires of hate?_

**12 Years Ago…**

"Arashi-koi, there must be another way!" a young woman with pale blue hair cried from her hospital bed. Her stiking blue eyes gazed at the blond haired man standing next to her. Those crystal eyes were filled with anguish, stabbing at the man who called himself her husband.

"Kagura-chan, we have no choice," Kazama Arashi, the Konoha Kiroi no Senko and Yondaime Hokage replied, "The Kyuubi is simply too powerful to destroy! Even with Gamabunta aiding me, I could only hope to wound it for a short while. The _Shiki Fuin_ is the only hope Konoha has!"

"But why our son?!" she cried, holding the crying form of their newborn child to her chest, "Please, at least tell me why him?"

"He carries the will of fire in him, Kagura! Both the blood of the Uzumaki clan and the Makoto clan rests in his veins!" Arashi replied, "He'll become a truly splended ninja once he grows up, I know this already. As for why; I am the Hokage. How can I ask another family to sacrifice their own child if I am not willing to do the same?" The tall blond man gazed at his wife. "Please, my love…understand this."

Kazama-Uzumaki Kagura bowed her head, her blue bangs touching the blond tresses of her newborne son. It still amazed her how much like her husband her child already looked; he was certain to be a heartbreaker when he was grown. Still, his eyes were her's…the same crystal blue shared by the majority of the Uzumaki clan.

The same shared by his four year old sister, Kanna, even.

"I've already left instructions with Jiraiya-sensei and Sarutobi-sensei," Arashi was saying, "The people will know my will. Our son will be a hero my love."

"But what about you?" she whispered, broken.

"A kage's greatest gift to their village is their life," he replied, "At least Naruto will have you and the clan to watch and raise him."

"Naruto…you named him after your favorite ramen topping?!" she asked, inredulous at his choice.

"Actually, I was thinking the 'spiral' version," the young kage replied with his trademark grin. All to quickly it faded, replaced by a somber expression. "Its time, Kagura-chan."

Kagura nodded, placing a sad kiss on the newly christend Naruto's forehead. "Be strong, my little one," she whispered. Reluctantly, she handed her child to her husband. Somehow, she knew things would never be the way her lover thought.

She was right.

**Four years later…**

"This is becoming a nightmare!" one of the elders shouted in the council chamber. "That…thing…is ruining this clan!"

"Five times we've had to request ANBU protection for that gaki in the last month," another replied. "We're losing face while the Uchiha and Hyuuga continue to gain strength in the civilian council. The villagers are starting to act like they are better than we are as well!"

"The boy shows little talent in any of the clan techniques," another voice spoke, "Takashi-kun has given up teaching him the Kuruda Ryuu styles. He may have an affinity for wind, but given his lack of aptitude with basic ninja techniques its unlikely he'll ever be able to adapt that into something useful."

"We should distance the clan from him," the second voice, "With the new contract offered to us by the Fire Lord himself, the boy's presence would only be a hinderance. Even now, he disrupts the training of his sister, who is turning out to be a genuine prodigy for the clan. Kanna-chan may not be in the direct line for clan succession, but she's certainly going to be a prize jewel for us in a few years."

The trio of elders nodded, then turned to stare at the blue haired woman kneeling before them. Once, this woman was the prize of the Uzumaki clan. A jounin of remarkable skill, (second only to the Densetsu no Sannin, Sandaime Hokage, Hatake Sakumo, and her own deceased husband Kazama Arashi) Uzumaki Kagura had in recent years turned cold and almost unfeeling. She rarely spoke to the council, or to any other clan members, unless it was absolutely necessary. Even her two children, the aforementioned Kanna and the boy –Naruto– received little attention from her.

"Kagura-dono," the head elder spoke, "You know that the Fire Lord has requested our entire clan move to the capital city of Hinokakugin (Fire Pavilion). This move gives the clan a great opportunity to reclaim some of the honor your son has cost us…perhaps even gain greater renown as his highnesses' body guards. However…"

"You needn't ask me what you are about to, Kosuke-sama," the cold woman replied, "You wish me to leave my son here in the village while the rest of us travel to the city."

"Yes, that is correct," the old man replied, "Do you have a problem with it?"

Kagura felt a tug at her soul, even as she voiced her answer. She looked at the elders with eyes of cold blue ice.

"No," she replied, "I will do what is best for the clan."

"Okaa-sama?" a small voice whispered, even it's owner watched the taller woman excort his sister to a covered wagon. The small child stood next to a man in bright white robes with red trim, and a triangular pointed hat stood proudly on his head. The man was old, but several times he had visited the small boy with a friendly smile, so the child knew he could trust him.

"Kagura-san, I beg you once again to stay this madness!" the man with the robes spoke, his voice carrying a hint of anger evident even to the small blond boy next to him, "This is your son, by the Kami! To abandon him this way…"

"It is the will of the clan, Sandaime-sama," she replied, "I will do what is in the best interests of my clan."

"Okaa-sama?" the small boy whimpered again, even as his big sister gave him a look of pity mixed with longing, "Was…was I bad? Did…did I…do something wrong?"

Kagura ignored the boy's questions, though she again felt the strange pull at her heart she had felt a week prior when the decision had been made. "We are the last one's here aside from Ebisu-kun," she replied, "He'll stand proxy for the Uzumaki clan on all civilian and shinobi matters. Kanna and I must depart now."

"Kagura…"

"Goodbye, Sandaime-sama," the woman finished, before walking away. She climbed into the wagon with her daughter, and the driver lashed the horses, getting them moving.

The blond boy stared at the wagon as it moved away from his home. "Okaa-sama…why? Why don't you want me? What did I do?!"

The wagon continued to move forward, even as he began to shout his pleas. "OKAA-SAMA . .. . . .. . I PROMISE NOT TO BE BAD ANYMORE . .. . . . PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The hand on his shoulder vanished even as a form kneeled down and wrapped him up in a tight embrace allowing the hot tears of the boy's misery to flow down the dark color shirt they wore.

"Oji-chan . . .. . . why did Okaa-sama and Onee-sama leave me? Why am I so bad?" the boy whispered.

"You are not bad Naruto-kun," Sarutobi Sudara replied, patting the boy's back in an effort soothe his fractured heart, "You are truly special. Your okaa-san and onee-san will see that someday." The boy continued to cry his soul out into the white robes of the old man.

"If…if I…if I become a good ninja," the boy sobbed, "Will…will that…make them love me?"

Sarutobi frowned over Naruto's head, even as he began to make plans for the boy. For him to think he needs to be a shinobi to get what should come freely from his clan, the 'Professor' thought, before he buried his darker feelings. "I think…many will come to love you if you become a good shinobi, Naruto-kun."

The old man stood, taking the boy's hand in his own. "Come with me, my boy. I'll treat you to some ramen. Your father loved the stuff."

"Ano…what's ramen?" the boy asked, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his orange jacket.

"You'll see, Naruto-kun. You'll see."

**Four years later…**

When Yuugao first returned to the village, she expected the general apathy she experienced. She was a former member of the Uzumaki Clan, the clan that had left Konoha to serve the Daimyo. They had been gone for so long, it made the people think that the clan saw it's self as too good for the village.

While she had expected that, what she saw her cousin endure was far worse.

Before the departure, she knew that the village hated Naruto. That hatred had been a major reason behind going to serve the Daimyo. However, the cruelty she saw now was far, far worse.

Naruto no longer had the protection of the Uzumaki Clan, and hate that had built up for four years was finally allowed to express itself. Her loathing of her clan built increased with every sneer, every insult, every blow landed on his young body. She had expected to simply avoid him, but after witnessing his life, she was unable to stand by.

She had practically begged the Hokage to let her join ANBU, and he reluctantly agreed, making her one of the youngest members to join ANBU. Since there was no war, and Sandaime had no desire to expose a young woman to the darker aspects of ANBU so soon, she was almost constantly assigned as one of Naruto's guardians.

She couldn't have hoped for more.

Unlike many of the other protectors, she wasn't content to watch from the Shadows until a killing blow was about to hit. She made sure the villagers KNEW she was protecting him. Unsurprisingly, this led to Naruto being fairly attached to her, even calling her "ANBU-chan."

Unfortunately, the time of contentment passed, when on of the newer recruits taunted her about her ousting from the Uzumaki clan in front of Naruto. Almost instantly the happy little boy vanished, replaced by one with distrusting eyes. While it stung to realize how much this child had been hurt by their family, Yuugao continued to protect him, seeing it as penance for her family's sins.

Months passed. Yuugao had grown used to Naruto's silence around her, and no longer let it worry her. Naruto no longer flinched when he saw her. She finally allowed herself to develop a social life, meeting a sweet but sickly man named Hayate. He quickly swept her of her feet, and they began dating. It was that action that stimulated the change.

Naruto was amazingly skilled at hiding and sneaking. The villager's hate towards him made it a necessity. So it was no surprise that Yuugao never noticed him silently following her when she was off duty. At her young age, she lacked the paranoia that marked most competent ninja. Over time, he grew to realize that she bore him no ill will, and wanted to make amends for what had happened to him. Still, the hate he felt for his clan made it impossible for him to express this to her.

Hayate changed that.

The sickly jounin had never overtly tried to harm or insult Naruto. He barely had any interaction with the boy at all. Knowing this gave Naruto the courage to talk to him face to face. After watching him for several days, Naruto confronted him.

The pale jounin was surprised when Naruto approached him. Yuugao had spoke of him and their relation before, so he had some understanding, but was surprised that Naruto would come forward. From what Yuugao had said, the boy ignored her once he learned who she was. Curiosity filled Hayate's mind, and he invited the boy in.

Despite the relaxed environment of Hayate's home, he noticed Naruto was still twitchy. Judging from his experiences, it wasn't that surprising. He filled a glass with milk, and gave it to the nervous boy.

"cough Don't worry kid. No one's going to attack you here." The statement seemed to settle him somewhat, though he still occasionally glanced around. Hayate gave him a moment to drink, before speaking up, "So… what brigs you here?"

"…Yuugao-san…" the boy murmured.

"Ah… she mentioned you a few times… I guess I should have expected this…" Hayate replied, observing his reactions. Despite his age, Naruto managed to hide his shock fairly well. It would be an asset when he was older.

"What did she say?" Despite Naruto's tone, you could sense his curiosity.

"cough Well, she says you're a sweet boy, except when you're playing pranks on people. You're also very determined to reach your goals." Hayate watched Naruto's reactions, "She also said that she was sorry for what happened to you." Naruto's head shot up, shock evident in his eyes.

"You know, for most people in the Uzumaki clan, you weren't that important. You were just another kid in the family. Yuugao barely even knew you when they left."

"So?"

"You shouldn't judge her too harshly. That's all. If she hated you like you seem to think, she wouldn't have been so gung ho about protecting you. I'm not saying you should forgive her right away, but I think she deserves an opportunity to prove herself, don't you?"

Hayate grabbed the empty glass to refill it, giving Naruto the chance to think about their conversation. When he returned, the chair was empty, and the door ajar. He sighed; he might not have helped, but at least he tried.

Naruto ran to the place he was most comfortable, the top of the Hokage Monument.

His conversation with Hayate had made him reconsider his feeling towards the people who abandoned him. For once, his convictions were shaken. His hate for his family wavered, and he questioned whether he was any better. For hours, he sat there, thinking about what to do.

Days later, Yuugao was on guard duty once again. As always, she remained silent, and Naruto did the same. It wasn't until lunchtime that something changed.

"Do you want some?" Naruto asked cautiously, as if he was afraid of her response.

"Huh?" Yuugao responded, surprised that he was talking to her again.

"I asked if you wanted some food ANBU-chan. If you don't want any…"

"No! I'd be glad to eat with you, Naruto-kun…" She quickly replied, joining him for some ramen. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

**Four years later…**

Uzumaki Naruto stared at the grey haired genin kneeling on the ground before him, even as the older boy began relating his information about the different canditates taking the exam. He wasn't really paying attention. His mind was focused on passing this exam and taking the next step in his goal of becoming Hokage.

"There's also a special team from the Leaf in this exam as well," the boy, Kabuto said, "A trio from the Fire Lord's personal body guards, the Uzumaki Clan."

Naruto's head whipped around so fast the Rookie Nine thought his head would pop off. "What…clan…did you say?" he asked, growling out his words as his hands clenched tight.

"The Uzumaki clan," he replied, looking into the azure eyes of the short genin, "Yeah, I can see how you'd have an…issue…about that."

"Naruto, I thought you were an orphan!" Sakura hissed, angry that the loudmouthed member of her team would withhold something like this. His gaze snapped to her, and she almost flinched at the anger burning within them.

"I am an orphan," he replied, his voice taking a hard edge that caused nearly everyone to flinch. "I share the same surname with that clan. Nothing else." He noticed Hinata giving him a concerned look. "I'd really rather not talk about it right now." His face broke into his usual cocksure grin. "C'mon, we got a test to pass! Dattebayo!"

Across the room a trio of genin with the same azure eyes glanced over at the rookie group.

"So," the leader of the trio said, running a hand through his short black hair, "That's Kanna-nee-san's brother."

"He looks ridiculous with that orange jumpsuit," a girl with purple hair in a page-boy cut muttered, "No wonder the clan cast him out. I bet he's nothing compared to you, Taro-kun."

"Ninja rule #5; Never underestimate an opponent," the tallest of the trio said, his white hair bound in a simple 'samurai' style que. The effect was enhanced by the daisho he kept tucked into his obi. "The outcast is here for a reason. Do not forget what we were told about, Reika-chan."

"Oh relaxe, Kenosuke," she replied, "He's no threat. Didn't you hear that stupid proclamation he made earlier? I bet he doesn't even pass this first part."

"Kenosuke is right, Reika-chan," Taro replied. "Don't underestimate him. Remember, he's supposedly been trained by your sister, remember?"

"I have no sister," Reika replied, "Yuugao cut her ties with the Uzuki and broke fellowship with the Uzumaki. She's dead to us."

"But she was and is ANBU level," Kenosuke replied, "If she has been teaching him, he could be a real challenge…and don't forget what Kosuke-sama said. Uzumaki Naruto is a monster. I recommend avoiding him until we learn know more."

"Agreed," Taro replied, "Besides, even if we can't beat him, _she can_!"

Naruto sat next to Hinata, his mind going back to the day he'd been left behind. _Has it really been eight years since that day?_ he thought as the test papers began being handed out. _I had all but forgotten about them. Has it really been that long…since I started hating them?_

His hand tightened around his pencil in anger, before he heard the voice of the shy girl next to him.

"Ano, Naruto-kun…" Hinata spoke up, getting his attention, "Lets…do our best!" She smiled at him.

"Yeah!" he replied, smiling back at her. _The Uzumaki clan can wait_, he thought.

_ Like they thought about me…they're unimportant._


	2. The Power of an Outcast

Chapter 1; The Power of an Outcast

The trio that comprised Team Seven knelt on the forest floor. The brief encounter with the Ame (Rain) nin had been a bit of an eye opener to the group. The bound and gagged ninja that was lying unconscious several meters away gave testament to a fact that both Sasuke and Sakura had never really acknowledged before;

Naruto was stronger than he let on.

It was Sasuke who had initially exposed the enemy ninja after the blond genin had gone to answer 'the call of nature'. A brief exchange of taijutsu and the Housenka no jutsu from the last Uchiha had ensued. It seemed pretty cut and dry after that to both of the remaining members of the rookie genin cell…

…until the Ame-nin had dissolved into water.

"Mizu-Bunshin!" Sakura had cried out, even as Sasuke was scanning the area with his Sharingan. When he found he couldn't see the Ame-nin, he had leapt up believing an underground Doton jutsu was coming.

Instead, a hard boot to the head was his reward. Sakura had cried out as her crush came crashing down. The Ame-nin glared at her, and leapt towards the pink-tressed girl, a kunai in hand ready to deliver a killing blow.

"FUUTON: KAZE GYORAI NO JUTSU!" (Wind Release: Wind Torpedo Technique) a familiar voice cried out, a blurr of chakra enhanced wind slamming into the attacking Rain shinobi. Sakura had watched, somewhat awestruck, as the nin was sent careening into a tree, his outfit shredding in places, and cuts appearing on the exposed areas of his skin. (She was briefly thankful nothing embarrassing had been exposed, while her inner self was demanding a similar technique be used on Sasuke so she could finally answer some important questions).

The kunoichi turned to see her blond teammate helping a slightly dazed Sasuke to his feet, even as the Uchiha heir gave him a look of mixed jealousy, awe, and curiosity. She made her way over to the now unconscious Ame-nin, pulling out some of her wire and binding his arms and legs in a gyaku-ebi tie. She pulled one of the looser pieces of cloth off his arm, and made a make-shift gag to keep him quiet. Silently, she thanked the kami that those lessons that the kunoichi were forced to take in their last year at the academy actually came of use. She had then proceded to check over her friends, before finally voicing the question she was sure Sasuke also had.

"Naruto…what was that?" she asked, "I've never seen you…"

"It's a clan jutsu," he replied, his crystal blue eyes darkening, "I can't do Katon worth a damn, but a…friend…said I'm pretty good with Fuuton."

"Is that one of the Uzumaki clan jutsus?" Sasuke asked, "We know you have a clan now…"

"I don't," Naruto replied, glaring at his rival, "I am not now, nor will I ever be a member of the Uzumaki Clan."

"You…you're declaring yourself _ronin_!?!" Sakura gasped, "But Naruto…such an act could ruin any chance…"

"Hokage-jiji already knows and agrees with me."

Both of his fellow genin gasped, before Sasuke glared at him. "So…you'd just throw away your clan?" he asked, his voice going cold in anger, "I knew you were a dobe."

Naruto glared right back. "I didn't throw them away, teme," he replied, "They threw me away…eight years ago." Sakura's eyes widened, while Sasuke's narrowed.

"Tell us the truth, Naruto," Sakura asked, "I can see hatred in your eyes…I've never seen that before." She glanced away. "It's…scary."

Naruto sighed. "Look, I don't want to talk about this in the middle of a test," he said, "After this round is over, I'll tell you about it. I promise." Both of his teammates nodded.

Naruto and Sakura went to gather up the scattered kunai and shuriken, while Sasuke searched the Ame-nin for anything of use. The Uchiha heir had to fight the urge to grin as he found the 'Chi' scroll they needed among the Ame-nins possessions. **Hnn, and I called Naruto a dobe**, he thought as he placed the scroll in his pouch. He turned to his team. "He had what we needed, so lets go to the tower," he said, "We should beat most of the other teams, which will allow us to rest and prepare for the next part." He received nods from his teammates. "Right then, lets get moving."

The trio made to stand up, only to find themselves seemingly pinned down under a murderous chakra. "Na-nani?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling, "What…what is this chakra?"

Naruto was the only one of the three who was able to make it to his feet. "Sasuke," he growled out, even as he strained himself against the killer intent permeating the air, "Can…you see…who's…doing this?" Sasuke managed to nod, motioning with his eyes to the far left. Naruto, with great force of will, managed to pull out a kunai, and glared at the area Sasuke had indicated. "Who…ever…you are…come on…out! I'm…gonna…kick your…ass!"

"Ku ku ku ku ku ku," a silky sounding voice carried through the clearing they were in. "Impressive, Naruto-kun…not many chuunin or even jounin are capable of shrugging off my Kanashibari no jutsu. You definitely inherited the stubbornness of your mother's clan." The pale Kusa-nin from the start of the exam walked into view, smirking at the obviously enraged blond. Sasuke and Sakura were surprised at the level of anger Naruto emitted at the mention of the word 'mother'. "I'm sure Kagura-dono would be most…pleased…at your obvious improvement."

Naruto smirked. "Oh no, suddenly I'm respectable!" he laughed, surprising his teammates, while making 'subtle' motions to Sasuke to break the jutsu. "I guess I'll just have to put dye in the ladies hotsprings again."

Sakura blanced, then scowled at the blond. "THAT WAS YOU!?!" she cried out, suddenly leaping to her feet as if the Kanashibari had never been cast. Sasuke found himself free as the sudden surge in killer intent from Sakura broke the jutsu holding him down. "NARUTO NO BAKA! INO AND I WERE ORANGE FOR A WEEK!"

Naruto's face fell. "But I thought you looked good like that," he complained, cringing at the expected blow.

The strange enemy chuckled again, before calling out. "As amusing as this is," he spoke up, "Perhaps its time to fight." His hands flipped through a few quick seals, ending on Ryu (dragon) "A new jutsu for you to learn, Naruto-kun…and tell your clan 'Orochimaru' said hello."

"FUUTON; DAITOPPA!" (Wind Release; Great-Breakthrough)

Naruto cried out as the gust of wind crashed into him with all the force of a jackhammer, the impact sending him flying through the clumps of leaves behind him. He vaguely heard Sakura and Sasuke crying out for him, but could do nothing as he flew through the forest.

Meanwhile, Sasuke turned a hard glare at the strange ninja before them. "You'll pay for that!" he growled, the tomoe's of his Sharingan spinning rapidly as if in response to his rage. While he would be the first to admit that Naruto was an annoyance more than a help at times, over the past few months as his teammate Sasuke had come to respect the enigmatic blond. The pair of them were more alike than either cared to admit; lonely, angry, and stubborn beyond belief, the pair may as well have been twins.

Now his new brother was hurting, and that Sasuke could not let stand.

His hands blurred faster than he had ever mananged before, the tora seal coming naturally to him as he breathed in the air needed for his technique. "KATON: HOUSENKA NO JUTSU!" A series of fireballs flew from his mouth, even as he began tossing shuriken from his thigh-holster into the blasts.

The strange ninja, who had called himself Orochimaru, grinned even as he ran through his own seal sequence. "SUITON: TEPPOU DAMA!" he called out, launching a series of water blasts to cancel the fire out. His eyes widened in almost gleefulness as he noticed the hidden 'second attack' of Sasuke's jutsu. "Impressive!" he called out, even as he doged the rain of metal. "Your jutsu usage is suberb…you really are his brother, aren't you?" He felt a small twinge of disappointment at the sudden look of rage that ghosted across the Uchiha heir's face. **The boy's anger could be a problem…but also an advantage for my juin.**

Sasuke rushed at the nin, his hands and feet flying in the taijutsu style his clan was famous for.

His form was perfect.

His speed was sublime.

His power was incredible given his age.

It was all so utterly useless.

A swift spin kick sent him flying, crashing down on a limb. Orochimaru smirked, then began to rush towards him…

…only to receive a surprisingly strong kick to his side from the kunoichi he had all but forgotten was there.

"You stay away!" Sakura cried out, her hands flashing through a quick seal sequence, ending on Nezumi. Orochimaru smirked as he recognized the signs of the low level genjutsu, Narakumi no jutsu. He didn't even bother forming the tora symbol, he just surged his chakra and broke the technique before it took hold. He spun around and caught the girl by her neck, lifting her from the ground.

"I'm mildly amused, young flower," he chuckled, staring into her frightened eyes, "That was a superb thrust kick you gave me…I was reminded of my old comrade, Tsunade-hime for a moment there." His grin changed then, and Sakura felt a chill reach deep into her bones. "Yes…you could be useful later as well." His head surged forward, and Sakura's world exploded into a haze of bright color, pain, and then darkness.

Orochimaru chuckeled, then cried out as he felt a foot lodge itself in his stomach. He glanced down, noting the fact that Sasuke had once again managed to stand, and his Sharingan was blazing in fury. **Excellent…his Uchiha blood has begun to boil…the potential of this boy is staggering.**

The force of the kick hurled him across a gap between trees, and he grunted as his back was introduced to a particularly hard oak. He felt himself sliding briefly, before a sudden tightness across his chest forced him to come aware. He grimaced as he saw the wires trapping his arms against his sides, even as he noticed Sasuke plant a triple set of kunai into the limb he was standing on. The wires ran to the circlets on the blades, and Orochimaru couldn't help but be awed by what was happening.

**Even Itachi didn't master this until after he was two years older than Sasuke! **he thought, **The Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack!**

Sasuke paid the sudden grin on the enemy ninja's face no mind as he ran through the seal sequence for his most powerful Katon jutsu. **For Sakura…for Naruto…** he thought. His hands paused on the final two seals, ryu and tora, gathering and focusing the chakra even as he inhaled a deep breath.

"KATON: RYUHA NO JUTSU!" he cried out, exhaling and blowing the giant surge of flame at the bound enemy. What he didn't expect was another voice to call out a jutsu as well.

"FUUTON: ATSUGAI!" A surge of wind raced through the dragon's flames, fanning them and causing them to surge. The flames raced along the wires, rushing over and around the bound Orochimaru who screamed in pain as the nearly white-hot fire surged around him.

Sasuke turned to where the winds had come from…and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Naruto standing there next to Sakura, his hands still clasped together in the ryu seal, signifying his completion of a futon technique. Once again, Sasuke had to wonder just how strong his teammate really was.

He noticed something then – which strangely enough – chilled him even more deeply than Orochimaru had.

Naruto's strange 'whisker' marks were darker now, and wider than before. His mouth was set in a horrible snarl, and his teeth…for a moment, Sasuke was sure they looked like 'fangs!'

It was his eyes, however, that were the most disturbing; gone was the crystalline blue the blond was famous for…instead, those blue eyes that usually held some illusion of idiotic happiness and cluelessness, his eyes were red…and slitted. It was almost like a cat…or a fox.

"**You hurt my friends!**" the blond growled at spot where Orochimaru had been. Sasuke turned, and almost gasped at the sight.

The man was practically unscathed, but his face…it was almost melting off!

"Indeed," the man replied, his right hand sliding over his hitai-ate, revealing an 'Oto' symbol instead of the 'Kusa' one as before. "A test really…and I must admit, all three of you are impressive. I think the Uzumaki clan will be most intrigued to learn of your strength, Naruto-kun." His eyes, now revealed to be golden and slitted like a snakes, were practically dancing with sadistic mirth. "I see you can use its chakra…combined with your clan's skills, you will indeed make a formidable opponent one day." **But what is this murderous chakra? I know the ninetails power…this is like it, but its still human-like…what is this rage?**

Sasuke gasped as the strange ninja suddenly appeared before Naruto, his tongue wrapped around the boy and holding him aloft. His left hand lifted Naruto's orange jacket up, revealing the boy's stomach, and a strange black image that was upon it.

"Yes, I see…" Orochimaru mused as he studied the seal, "So this is the sealing array Arashi-kun used. I've never seen one so complex before…really, such things are more Jiraiya's specialty than my own. In time, once you truly learn to control the power of the Kyuubi, you'll be stronger than me…but for now, you're merely in my way."

His right hand began to glow, as purple flames danced along his finger tips. "FUIN JUTSU: GOGYO FUIN!" He cried, thrusting his hand into Naruto's stomach, causing the boy to scream in pain. Sasuke watched in horrified fascination as Naruto's face reverted to the state it was normally, before the blond slipped into unconsciousness.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?!" the dark haired boy cried out.

"A simple seal, my boy," the sadistic ninja chuckled, before he vanished and then re-appeared behind the stunned Uchiha scion. Sasuke cried out as he felt a painful stab in his neck, before a burning and gut-wrenching sensation began washing over him. "Now your seal, on the other hand…well, when you want to know more about it, come see me." He vanished, leaving Sasuke to his cries of pain.

He screamed for a long time.

oOoOoOo

Sometimes, she missed her country. Oto was a good place to become strong, but it lacked the wild mountains of Tsuchi no Kuni.

Instead, she chose to defect, and so got saddled with two…idiots.

She glanced at her teammates, fighting the urge to snort at Zaku's bluster and Dosu's sadism. Being one of the few kunoichi in Oto, she often found herself garnering the unwanted attentions of the men in from the village, though the pair before her could hardly be called men.

She idly recalled the few days she had actually been an Iwa Kunoichi – in her home country kunoichi were rarely ever allowed out in the field unless it was on an espionage or a 'seduce and destroy' mission. She would likely have been trained as a courtesan for the Earth Daimyo's court or for some high end brothel for the visiting dignitaries.

The thought made her want to puke.

She knew her younger sister Himitsu was likely now serving as a whore in her place, but the brat had never been someone she cared about anyway. As far as Tsuchi Kin was concerned, watching out for herself was all that mattered. That was why she escaped with Tayuya and Karin when they had fled; she would not sully herself just because the Tsuchikage was a misogynistic pig.

When Orochimaru had found them, and took them in, it was almost like a dream. Finally, they were being taught how to be true ninja, and not porcelain dolls. Karin had demonstrated great skill at medicine, and was rushed into the new medic-nin program. Tayuya, as the strongest, had earned a place with the Sound Four's genjutsu specialist.

Kin had shown a real talent at hand to hand combat and marksmanship, making her the perfect front line fighter.

Still**, why did I have to get bandage-boy and Mr. Blowhard as teammates?** she bemoaned to herself. Zaku's air cannon arms certainly made up for the lack of skill he had in all other areas (like brains for instance), and Dosu's Melody arm was useful for many different things, but his sadistic yet overly cautious nature held them all back. He took his time gauge any advantage an opponent might have, but would torment them for too long once he was sure he had their number. **That guy is going to get himself killed soon. I just hope I'm there to see it.**

"We have a visitor," Dosu spoke up suddenly. Zaku immediately was on guard, his chakra surging through his arms even as Kin pulled a group of senbon from her thigh pouch.

"Ku ku ku ku…I see your sense of hearing continues to grow stronger, Dosu-kun," a silky voice came from the darkness. Kin had to forcibly repress the shudder that wanted to crawl up her spine. Somehow, Orochimaru's voice always made her shiver…and it was never in a good way.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Zaku exclaimed, dropping on one knee. Kin barely resisted snorting again.

**Brown noser,** she thought.

"At ease, Zaku-kun," the snake sannin chuckled, "I have a job for the three of you…a mission different than what I told you that you'd be doing before."

Kin frowned at that. "You said we were to kill that Uchiha kid, Orochimaru-sama," she spoke up, "What's changed? I thought you wanted him gone."

Orochimaru smirked at the dark haired girl. **It should be interesting to see her reaction to this information,** he thought. "The presence of the Uzumaki clan in these exams has altered my plans somewhat," he replied, "I need you three to gauge the abilities of the three Uzumaki from the Fire capital. I have already dealt with Sasuke and his team…they are worthy of living. The other three however…well, Kin-chan I should think you'd enjoy tormenting them more than anyone here."

"Why would Kin want to hurt them, Orochimaru-sama?" Dosu asked, glancing at his female teammate.

"Kin-chan is originally from Tsuchi no Kuni," the sannin elaborated, "I understand your father died in battle against the Yondaime Hokage, correct?"

"Yes," Kin acknowledged warily, "What does that have to do with these Uzumaki brats?"

"The Yondaime was a member of the Uzumaki clan through marriage," he answered, drawing a sharp gasp from the girl. **Hook,** he thought. "The Uzumaki are always proud to proclaim how he thrashed that legion of Iwa-nin in the last great battle."

The girl's hands clenched tightly, and a drop of blood made its way down her palm from thanks to her nails piercing the skin. **Line.**

"I know for a fact that the clan heir, Uzumaki Taro, is the nephew of the Yondaime's widow Kagura," he continued, "He's well trained, but lacks actual battle experience…"

"Then I'll be happy to give him some," Kin finished, her heart warming at the thought of causing the family of her father's murderer pain.

**Sinker.** "Don't eliminate them," he instructed, "I want to see them in the finals…I have my own grudge against the Uzumaki clan, and a plan is already set to truly make them hurt. You'll see what I mean in the next stage." His hands came together in the hitsuji symbol, before he vanished in a plume of purple flame. "Remember…they can be hurt, but not elmiminated…I want them to suffer…"

Kin glanced at her teammates. "Let's find those punks," she all but growled out, "For once, I'll be the sadistic one…I want their blood."

Zaku and Dosu nodded, the former smirking while the latter merely patted his gauntlet. The three exchanged a brief nod, before leaping into the trees.

They had a mission to complete.

oOoOoOo

Sakura groaned as she came too, the light streaming through the leaves almost fanning the flames of the headache she was experiencing. She clenched her eyes shut against the pain, but eventually had to forced herself to open them.

She slowly struggled to her knees, wincing as her skull protested against the act. Once she had gotten her bearings, she glanced around, searching out her teammates and praying that they were alright.

Naruto was easy to spot of course, his orange jump suit standing out against the dark green foliage of the trees and bushes around them. She crawled over to her loudmouth friend, reaching out a hand to check his pulse. She was relieved when her fingers detected a strong, steady beat at his neck. He's just out cold, she thought, That ninja must have hit him pretty hard. She slapped his face lightly, trying to stir him awake.

After the fourth slap the blond haired boy groaned, his blue eyes opening and gazing blearily into Sakura's green orbs. He coughed slightly, before struggling to his knees as well. "Uggh," he groaned, "What…happened? That…freaky…ninja…"

"He must have knocked you out, Naruto," the pink haired girl explained, "I just came to myself." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small bottle of aspirins, dropping two into Naruto's outstretched hand before taking a couple herself. "What happened? The last thing I remember was that scary ninja giving me a headbutt before everything went blank." She barely had time to blink before Naruto was fussing about her head, checking for injury.

"You got a little blood here, but not much," Naruto muttered, "At least he didn't mess up your pretty face." He gave her his usual cocksure grin, and despite her confessed feelings about her orange clad teammate, she felt a small blush grace her cheeks.

Naruto smiled again at that, then his face turned serious as he started scanning the area. His eyes widened when they landed upon the crumpled heap nearby. "Sasuke!" he all but shouted, leaping to his feet and running over to him, Sakura close on his heels. Together, the pair checked over the Uchiha heir, noting that aside from the bruising and cuts gained during the battle with Orochimaru, Sasuke seemed to be perfectly fine.

When Sakura put her hand on his forehead to check his temperature, however, she was forced to cry out. "He's burning up!" she muttered, "He's got to have a temperature of at least 105 degrees!"

Naruto stared at her blankly. "Is that high?" he asked. Sakura gaped at him, causing him to blush in embarrassment, "I don't think I've ever had a fever before. None of the doctors at the hospital ever said I did the times I was there."

Sakura frowned. Even she knew that temperature checks were standard procedure at hospital; how could Naruto have never known if he'd ever had one? She quickly filed that away for later. "Whatever," she replied, "Listen, we need to find some shelter and water to treat our wounds. I'll take Sasuke down to the ground while you go get some water. We'll meet back at this spot in an hour."

"Should I try to get some food too?" he asked, "I think we could both use something to give us some energy, and Sasuke could probably do the same once he wakes up."

**If he wakes up,** Sakura's inner voice muttered, though she paid it no mind. It was not the time to argue with herself. "Yeah…that's probably a good idea," she said, "Don't take too long though. If you can't find anything like fish or whatnot, we'll just have to make do with the ration bars I brought."

"Gahh!" Naruto grimaced, sticking his tongue out, "I hate those things."

"We all do, Naruto," she replied, reaching down and lifting the Uchiha heir up buy his shoulder. That's when she saw something…strange. "Naruto…take a look at this."

The blond genin moved over, glancing at the area Sakura was staring at. At the junction where Sasuke's neck met his shoulder, a strange black mark was set in his skin. "Weird," Naruto muttered, "It's like the tomoe in Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke's Sharingan."

"He didn't have this before the fight," Sakura muttered, "That guy…he must have done this to him."

"Well, we can't deal with it now," Naruto replied, wincing slightly as he rubbed his stomach, "Lets do what we agreed on; you take care of Sasuke and I'll go get some food and water. If he doesn't wake up by midday tomorrow, we'll take him to the tower as he is. There are bound to be medics there."

Sakura was surprised at Naruto's insightfulness, but nodded anyway. It was yet another mystery about the blond boy she had come to call her friend for her to unravel. The blond nodded back, then leapt down from the branch, and began making his way through the forest. Sakura carried Sasuke down, finding a hollow section of roots to duck under. After she laid him down, she proceded to layer the area with traps, as well as a subtle genjutsu. It would cause people to not pay attention to this spot unless she allowed it. Once again she gave a silent thank you to that strange ANBU kunoichi that seemed to follow Naruto sometimes.

She wondered again why the lady did that, but shrugged it off as she had more important things to take care of.

oOoOoOo

Yuugao leapt through the forest with two of her ANBU partners. She had immediately volunteered to enter the forest once she heard that Anko had gone in after her rogue sensei, the snake sannin Orochimaru.

While she had never been close to the former disciple of the traitor, Yuugao respected Anko's desire to see justice done to the monster. One of the bastard's earlier experiments had cost the life of her uncle, and though she was now outcast from the Uzumaki clan and the Uzuki branch of it, that insult to the family had to be avenged.

**I hope we find her before she finds him though,** the purple haired ANBU thought as she leapt from tree to tree, **Anko will likely try to kill him even if it costs her both their lives…and then I won't get my shot!**

She noticed something a few trees to the left, and she signaled her teammates to follow as she veered in that direction. When they arrived, they were greeted by a dark site.

"SENEIJASHU!" the Tokubetsu Jounin Mitarashi Anko cried out, four pythons shooting out from her sleeves and grabbing hold of a man who appeared to be halfway sunk into the trunk of the tree. With a roar worthy of the giant tigers that lived in the Forest of Death, the mesh clad girl swung her arms and ripped the man from the tree, hurling him against the trunk of another tree.

"This is ANBU Neko to ANBU base," she whispered into her communicator, "Orochimaru confirmed in Training Area 44. Jounin Mitarashi currently engaging. Moving to assist." She leapt down to the tree where the other girl was rushing up to the trapped sannin.

Anko slammed her left hand against his right, before swinging her right arm around and impaling both of their hands with a kunai, pinning them against a tree.

"My my," Orochimaru grinned despite the pain, "You really have improved my little cobra…"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, sensei," the girl replied, stressing the sarcasm in the word sensei, "I've had almost ten years to prepare for this..." she reached down, and grabbed his left hand, her fingers manipulating his into a modified 'hebi' seal. "…now, if you don't mind me using your left hand here…"

"Ninpou: Sojasosai no Jutsu!" (Ninja art; Twin Snake Self Sacrifice technique).

Yuugao had been silent to this point, but even she knew what this kinjutsu could do. "Anko-sempai!" she called out, landing on the branch with the two ninja.

"Stay out of this!" the serpent kunoichi growled as she surged her chakra for the jutsu, "We're going to die together, sensei…"

"Ah, but I don't think that's going to happen, Anko-chan," he replied, "After all…this jutsu only works if there's two of us."

Anko's eyes widened, and Yuugao whipped around even as the 'Orochimaru' Anko held dissolved into a pile of mud. The pair of kunoichi were joined by the other two ANBU members, even as the real snake sannin appeared a few branches above them.

"Damn you…" Anko growled, ripping the kunai that held her hand against the tree free and hurling it at the pale ninja. He smirked as he caught it with two fingers, before raising his hand up into a half hitsuji seal.

Anko gasped, then fell to her knees as a surge of pain erupted from her shoulder. Yuugao and her fellow ANBU moved around her protectively, even as Orochimaru laughed at his former pupils plight.

"Your curse mark still responds to me, my little cobra," he laughed, "Still, its not you I'm interested in."

"Are you here to assassinate Hokage-sama then?" Yuugao asked, her hand on the ninjato strapped to her back, "What is your purpose here?"

Orochimaru laughed. "I merely have an interest in a few of the competitors," he replied, "Some of my own subordinates are competing as well." He grinned. "Indeed, there are one or two I'm truly fascinated with…one was so impressive I even gave him my mark."

"That's…a…foolish gift," Anko groaned, "He'll…die…most likely."

"Hmmm, true, there is only a one in ten chance he'll live," Orochimaru nodded, "Still, his breeding is superb. His body is also exquisite…if he lives he'll be the perfect vessel to succeed me." He stared down at the assembled nins. "I know you plan on stopping this exam…I warn you, if you do, then Konoha will be destroyed." His body faded from view as his voice echoed around them. "The exam must continue…there is still much that must happen…"

Yuugao frowned behind her mask, before turning to the stricken Anko. "Sempai, can you stand?" she asked. At the girl's nod, she turned to her teammates. "Head back to headquarters and make the report. I'll escort Anko-sama to the tower." The other two ANBU nodded, before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Anko looked at the purple haired ANBU. "I was stupid, Yuugao-san," she muttered, "I should have known he'd use Kawarimi…"

"He isn't one of the sannin for nothing, Anko-sempai," the armor clad girl replied, "C'mon, lets get to the tower and get you looked at."

The pair of kunoichi vanished in puffs of smoke.

oOoOoOo

Naruto stopped when he came to a stream near a clearing, smiling as he saw several fish in a nearby alcove of rock. A quick and judicious use of Kage Bunshin resulted in three nicely sized river trout for his team. He pulled out a scroll, and sealed the fish away for easy transport. I gotta remember to thank Hayate-niisan for teaching me this, he thought. He proceded to fill both his and Sakura's canteens with water, and once finished turned to leave…

Only to find his path blocked by three people he did not want to deal with.

"Hello, cousin," Uzumaki Taro smirked, "Fancy meeting you here."

Naruto glared at his cousin, but chose to not reply. Instead, he gazed over at the kunoichi of the group. "You must be Reika," he said, causing the purple haired girl to scowl, "Yuugao-neechan sends her regards. I know she misses you."

"Hmmph, I couldn't care less what that traitor feels," the belligerent girl replied, "She chose to break with the Uzuki and Uzumaki, so she's persona non grata with me."

Naruto simply shook his head. "And you people wonder why Konoha doesn't like the clan anymore," he muttered, "To think I share the name…sometimes it's a shame almost too great to bear."

The boy in samurai garb frowned at him. "You will speak of the clan with respect," he ordered. His eyes widened angrily as Naruto laughed.

"Oh please," he snorted, "The day I treat you with respect is the day I decide to quit being a ninja…and that is never going to happen." Naruto turned to the black haired boy who appeared to be the leader. "Given that you know my name, it's only fair that I know yours now. Manners and all that, y'know?" He had to resist scowling when he saw the boy's blue eyes gleam arrogantly. **Is he really that stupid…he's actually going to introduce himself!**

The boy laughed. "Sure, why not?" he replied, "I'm Uzumaki Taro, heir of the Uzumaki clan." He pointed at Reika. "You already know Uzuki Reika, from the Uzuki family branch and a formidable user of both taijutsu and ninjutsu." Finally he pointed to the third member of the group. "This is my cousin Uzumaki Kenosuke, the best swordsman of our generation. We are…"

"Three total and complete idiots," Naruto interrupted, pulling out a kunai and hurling it at the bushes to the left. Three forms leapt from said bushes, landing nearby. Naruto belatedly noticed that they were the team from Oto, and he frowned as he recalled Orochimaru also wearing an Oto hitai-ate. He turned his glare back to the three members of his estranged clan, who were gaping at him. "You cannot be telling me you didn't notice them," he growled, "Are you really that…green?"

Reika scowled. "We don't need an outcast like you criticizing us, teme!" she shouted at him. Naruto rolled his eyes, pulling out another kunai and focusing his chakra. He winced as he felt a slight burn around his stomach.

**Damn…what did that snake-freak do to me?** he thought.

"Hmmph, and here I thought this was going to be a challenge," Dosu muttered, "They seem to be fighting amongst themselves."

"That's the loudmouth from before," Zaku noted, "Is he apart of that clan?"

"If he is, he doesn't act like it," Kin growled, "The Uzumaki clan is notorious for both their skill and their arrogance. This kid seems to be more concerned with the situation than his pride. I wonder who he is?"

Naruto noted this byplay, but filed it away for later. He kept on the black haired boy. "A ninja never reveals more than is needed," he continued, as if lecturing the clan heir. Taro scowled, but was unable to interrupt as Naruto plowed on. "All you should have told me was your names. Instead, you revealed your importance to the Uzumaki, Reika-san's skills, and Kenosuke-san's specialty. Now anyone who might have been spying on us, i.e. those three Oto-nin there, know what to expect and will be able to counter it."

The three members of the Uzumaki clan almost gaped at that. Despite all that they had been taught by the council about this boy, his logic was undeniable.

Naruto frowned at them, then turned to the three enemy ninja on his left. "I have a teammate who needs me," he said, "I don't have time to fight you, but I do have a question."

Kin frowned, but stepped forward. "You answer mine, and I'll answer yours," she replied, "They called you an outcast…are you a member of the Uzumaki?"

"No," he replied, "They cast me out when I was four years old. They abandoned me for something that was never my fault." He stared at her, noticing the position her legs were in. "You're from…Iwa, aren't you?"

Kin gaped, but smirked. "I was born in Tsuchi no Kuni, but I am no Iwa-nin," she replied, "I'm Oto, and that's all there is too it."

Naruto shrugged. "Fair enough," he replied, "Now for my question; what did Orochimaru do to my friend?"

End Chapter one.

Next chapter; the Uzumaki clan's strength, the end of the Second Exam, and the Preliminaries start.


	3. The Maelstrom's Awakening

**Forsaken**

Disclaimer: But I don't wanna…

AN: Thanks to all who review both here and over at The Fanfiction Forum (run by Hawk, go check it out). Now, stop reading my AN and read the story! CHOP CHOP!

**Chapter Two: The Maelstroms Awakening**

If there was one thing Naruto truly prided himself on, it was his ability to stun people.

While it was true his pranks were primarily meant to garner attention for himself (even if that attention was scoldings from Iruka-sensei and Yuugao-sempai, and stern looks from Hokage-jiji), they also served the secondary purpose of giving him a reason to laugh at people who normally laughed at him.

The six genin around him were all gaping at him stupidly would normally be very laugh worthy…but Sasuke and Sakura-chan needed him.

"I know you know him," he continued, "My teammate told me he had an Oto hitai-ate…is he your sensei?"

"Orochimaru-sama is our leader, the Otokage," the hunched over mummy spoke, "You said he did something to your friend…who is your friend, and what did he do?"

"I won't tell you his name, but that bastard put some sort of mark on his neck," the blond replied, "What did he do?"

"A juin," Kin muttered, "But why? Tayuya barely survived getting her's, and she's older than the rest of these brats."

Juin…a curse? the Uzumaki called Taro wondered, What would one of the Sannin want with the outcast's teammate…

"Well, at least now I know," Naruto replied, "I don't have a problem with you three…yet. If I come across that Orochimaru again however…well, I'm sure you can deliver a message to him." The Oto-nins nodded. "Tell him…he's awakened the depths of the maelstrom."

The three Uzumaki's gasped at his words. "What do you think you're doing, you fool?!" Taro shouted, "Orochimaru is one of the Sannin, the Three Shinobi of Legend! You just declared 'blood feud' against someone of the Yondaime's level!"

"I know who the bastard is, bakayarou!" Naruto shouted back, "Yuugao-neechan told me all about him…and don't ever compare him to the Yondaime! If you do I swear I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll gag on my sandle!"

Taro frowned. "Know your place, outcast!" he snarled, "You've done something that could have repercussions for the entire clan…"

"Last I checked, I'm not a member of the clan," Naruto replied, "I was cast out, so the clan has nothing to do with my decisions. Right now, that bastard has hurt someone I've come to call a friend…I have very few, and I protect those few with every thing I've got! When you can say the same, then I'll consider what the clan wants before I run my mouth!" He punctuated this by pulling his eyelid down and sticking his tongue out at the dark haired boy.

"Enough of this," Reika shouted, her hands flying through a seal sequence even as she leapt to stand on the flowing waters of the river. She ended with the Tori seal even as the waters began surging around her. "**SUITON: SUIRYUUDAN NO JUTSU!**" (Water Release: Water Dragon Blast) she cried out even as a large serpentine shape shot up out of the water, circling around her before launching towards the Oto-nins.

Naruto leapt away into the trees. I wish I could stay and watch this, but my team needs me now! he thought to himself, even as the shouts and cries of battle began to make themselves known. Still, I got a feeling this isn't going to turn out so well for my…cousins!

**oOoOoOo**

Zaku smirked as the water dragon rushed towards them, barely noticing that the orange-clad loudmouth had left. "Oh please," he said, "So outdated. **ZANKUHA!**" (Slicing Air Wave) His right arm snapped up and a rush of pressurized air mixed with chakra lanced forward, cleaving Reika's attack in two.

The purple haired girl gaped in amazement, and as such barely noticed the girl called Kin launching a volley of senbon needles at her.

The white clad Kenosuke was the one who saved her, pulling his katanna from its sheath and disrupting the attack with the sudden pressure change.

"Nice move," the bandage clad Dosu muttered, "You've got some speed with that sword…just what do you call that move."

"It is the most basic technique of Iajutsu," the taller boy replied, "Simple batoujutsu…I didn't even have to use my chakra for it."

"Just a plain old sword skill…oh, I hardly believe that," Dosu replied, "I know a good way to test it though." He shifted his cloak to reveal the silver gauntlet that adorned his right arm. "My 'Melody Arm' has many different abilities. It all depends on how I mold my chakra." He rushed toward the boy, who swung his blade around to block the punch.

Fist met the flat of blade as a high-pitched ring echoed throughout the clearing. Kenosuke grimaced as he felt his blade vibrate so hard he almost dropped it. "I…see," he groaned out, "Your…weapon…it uses soundwaves…to disrupt it's targets…stability."

"True," Dosu replied, "I can burst ear drums, shatter stone, break bones, and even liquefy my opponents internal organs."

"So why did you not do so here?"

"Because I had some suspicions about this blade of yours," the bandaged boy replied, "You use a **_chakra __kohan__ no __tsurugi_**." Kenosuke frowned, leaping away from the Oto-nin, sheathing his sword as he went. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting a sword that rare to belong to a genin…or that you could use it so well. You must be very skilled to utilized the swords chakra storage abilities."

"Not surprising that he didn't reveal it," Kin shouted as she ducked a thrust kick sent her way by Reika, "The Uzumaki clan is obscenely wealthy, so of course he'd have a rare weapon like that if he had any real skill."

"We may be wealthy," Taro spoke up, his hands flying through a seal sequence, finishing with the Ryu symbol, "But we're also very skilled. **FUUTON; FUURYU NO JUTSU!**" (Wind Release: Wind Dragon Technique)

Zaku's eyes widened as the winds picked up, swirling around the dark haired boy and taking the shape of a dragon. "That's a new one on me," he muttered, "But its no match for my **ZANKUKYUHA!**" (Super Slicing Air-wave)

The two blasts of chakra enhanced air slammed into each other, ripping the ground to shreds. Long gouges appeared as dirt, rocks, and plants were hurled left and right, and each genin was forced to leap about to avoid being struck by debris.

Kin and Reika leapt away from each other, both breathing heavily and sporting cuts and scratches. Kin's face bore a look that suggested that she was insulted, why'll Reika's was more a look of frustration.

"You're boyfriend says you're a taijutsu genius," Kin mocked, "So where are those vaunted 'chakra kicks' and 'open skills' that I heard so much about when I lived in Tsuchi no Kuni? You are holding back, right?"

Reika frowned. "Those styles of taijutsu are reserved for the main branch of the family…I'm an Uzuki, not an Uzumaki."

"Hmmph, no wonder I feel insulted," Kin replied, "Honestly, I think that your 'outcast' cousin would've been more fun to fight." She turned to look at her teammates. "I think we've learned enough for Orochimaru-sama, don't you guys?"

"Yeah…we learned they're a bunch of wimps," Zaku replied.

"Heh, I think Orochimaru-sama was worried for nothing," Dosu replied. He pulled a smoke bomb from his pouch. "Make no mistake, Uzumaki Taro-san," he called over to the dark haired boy, "When next we meet…it will be far more unpleasant for you." With a quick toss, the smoke billowed out in front of the Uzumaki clan, and the three Oto-nin vanished from sight.

"COWARDS!" Reika shouted, "COME BACK AND FACE US!"

"Reika-san, that is enough," Kenosuke muttered, "They are gone."

Reika growled, while Taro smirked. "They seriously underestimated us though…which means Orochimaru will underestimate the clan as well," he replied, "So…the plan continues."

Reika cheered her cousin's statement, while Kenosuke cleaned his blade before re-sheathing it. **I don't know about this…** he thought to himself as the trio took to the trees once more. **Something doesn't feel right…was it because of how the outcast acted?**

Kenosuke didn't like this feeling of foreboding crawling up his spine. He liked even less that it was his inferior outcast cousin who was causing it.

**oOoOoOo**

There was much about the 44th training ground that Sarutobi Sudara didn't like. He wasn't happy that the giant tigers had never been successfully tamed so as to prevent the maulings of many chuunin hopefuls in past exams. He never cared for the Flying Leeches or the giant centipedes, especially that one year when a particularly promising kunoichi was found drained dry after having been abandoned by her teammates (said young men now spent their days breaking rocks in the prison quarry for their cowardice).

What he disliked most, however, was how Anko had made the tower in the center of the facility her home, despite having an assigned apartment in the village. It shamed him to think that she was more comfortable isolating herself from the villagers so that she couldn't hear their words of scorn.

Snake-whore.

Traitor's pet.

Orochimaru's disciple.

Sarutobi was well aware of the stories that circulated around the village following Orochimaru's defection and Anko's subsequent questioning by Ibiki and the ANBU. He knew that some ninja's now made up horror stories (or worse) about how Anko "served" his traitorous pupil. It was not unheard of for parents to frighten their children into obedience these days with the phrase, "If you don't behave, you could end up like that Mitarashi girl and get an evil sensei."

Given Orochimaru's reputation, it could be an effective tool to enforce obedience…but not when it denigrated Anko like that.

He stared at the dark haired young woman as she sat on the couch before him, a medic nin checking her over to make sure there were no lasting side effects from Orochimaru's activation of her juin. Behind her, Uzuki Yuugao and her fiance -Gekko Hayate, the third stage proctor- gave the young special jounin looks of concern. On another side of the room, Kotetsu and Izumo observed the monitors, watching the progress of several teams as they made their way through the forest or –in the cases of genin cell 8 and the Suna team– milled about the tower.

"So, he said that he would destroy the village if we stop this exam," the aged leader muttered, "Just what is my baka-denshi planning?"

"He said he gave the mark to a participant in the exam," Anko replied, "I'm certain he meant the Uchiha boy. He was always obsessed with that damn Sharingan of theirs."

"The Uzumaki clan never cared for the Uchiha's doujutsu," Yuugao muttered, "Most of the clan jutsus are so chakra intensive, even if the Uchiha did copy them, they could never perform them with out passing out from chakra exhaustion. If there was any doujutsu that the clan despised, it was the Byakugan and the jyuuken fighting style the Hyuuga clan created for it."

"A gentle art that does the same damage as the Eigi and Hyougi styles in the Uzumaki Ryu," Sarutobi acknowledged, "Yuugao-san, you told me once about the Hyuuga heiress…Hinata…stalking Naruto-kun, correct?"

Yuugao frowned. Despite being at odds with her clan, there were certain things that had been ingrained in her since childhood that she simply could not get past. One of them was an almost instinctual dislike of the Hyuuga clan. She didn't truly know Hinata, but the fact that the girl was Main house was enough to set the ANBU on edge.

The girl's obvious infatuation with her cousin didn't help matters.

"True, but that's neither here nor there, Hokage-sama," the purple haired girl replied, "I'm more worried about Naruto's team…the Uchiha is on it. Orochimaru probably knows about Naruto-kun's…burden. What if he came here for that?"

"Doubtful," Anko replied, "Orochimaru hates the Bijuu…he always told me that power like that should never belong to 'wild and uncontrollable beasts'. He'd sooner try to directly assassinate you, Hokage-sama, than mess with the Yondaime's seal. He'd never want to deal with the Kyubi…even with his strength, he'd barely want to deal with the Ichibi, and even less the Nibi."

"Given his fear of death and the Nibi's powers, its certainly understandable," Kotetsu spoke up, "Still, he is one of the Densetsu no Sannin…that means he's at least as dangerous as one of the Bijuu."

"Regardless, we can't cancel the exam," Sarutobi muttered, "Inform me the instant Naruto's team arrives, and have them all brought to me. If Sasuke is marked, we'll place a containment seal on him immediately until I can contact Jiraiya or Tsunade. The two of them should be able to counteract anything Orochimaru might have done."

Yuugao's eyes widened at the mention of the other two members of the Sannin. "Hokage-sama," she spoke up, "Does Tsunade-sama know about…"

"She's unaware of Naruto's connection to Arashi," the old man replied, "But I will tell her once she arrives. I've sent Yamato to retrieve her."

Hayate coughed, as he mentioned something, "And (cough cough) Jiraiya-sama?"

"He's where he always is," Sarutobi sighed.

"Pervert," Anko muttered, even as she grinned.

**oOoOoOo**

At one of the more…liberal…bathhouses in the village, a certain white haired old man sneezed. Unfortunately, this alerted the young lesbian couple -a short haired blond with a slim, athletic build, and a aqua tressed beauty who gave new meaning to the phrase va-va-voom (since she had great va-va's and a dynamite voom)- to his presence. The pair of kunoichi proceded to pummel him severly before utilizing a tag-team combo of Doton and Suiton jutsu to send him flying.

"Why can't we get any privacy, Haruka-chan?" the aqua tressed girl asked.

"Honestly, its like the whole world's against us, Michiru-chan," the blond replied.

**oOoOoOo**

Sasuke groaned as he came to. A pleasant smell assaulted his nostrils, and an even more pleasant coolness covered his aching head. He opened his eyes to see Sakura and Naruto hovering about him.

"Sakura…Naruto…" he groaned, "What…happened…to me?"

"We don't know much," Sakura replied, replacing the cold compress, "All we know is that guy, Orochimaru, put some kind of 'curse seal' on your neck. It really took you out."

"Yeah, you've been out for almost a full day," Naruto elaborated, "Sakura took care of you while I scouted the area and caught us some fish. We're about three klicks from the tower, and its still only the third day. We can still pass…if you're up to it?"

"I feel worse than after that mission in Nami, but I won't let this thing beat me," the Uchiha heir growled, "Besides, you still have to tell us about this 'clan' of yours."

Naruto frowned. "Yeah, about that," he muttered, "I had a little run in with them while you were out."

Sakura snapped her gaze towards the blond. "What happened?" she asked.

"They demonstrated how stupid they are," Naruto replied, "I'll tell you about it later. Right now we should eat, then get to the tower so they can look at that mark the Hebi-teme put on Sasuke."

Sakura's eyes twitched at Naruto's casual response. "Hebi…teme?" she asked. Sasuke smirked at his blond…friend.

"He's an enemy and a jerk who uses snakes, so 'Hebi-teme'," Naruto explained, "What about it?"

Sakura just shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, "Nothing at all."

Sasuke was tempted to laugh out loud –even if it was against his usual nature– as he sat up, wincing as a sharp, stabbing pain made itself known around his left shoulder. "Kami-sama," he breathed, his right hand grabbing the area and rubbing it, "Gah…what is this thing?" He noticed the concerned looks his teammates were giving him. "It's painful, but not debilitating…" He frowned as he thought of something. "If this is some kind of seal…I wonder what it might have done to my chakra…"

Sakura frowned. "Fuinjutsu isn't really taught much at the academy," she muttered, "Nobody really wants to put the effort into learning it – its one of the most difficult arts to learn. I don't know much other than the basic weapon and supply sealing techniques that they teach all genin."

Naruto frowned. Fuinjutsu…that was a bitter subject with him. While he didn't know much about his particular seal –jiji had been surprisingly tight-lipped about it– he did know that certain seals could be used to both augment certain things, or restrain and cancel out others. "There's only one way to know," he spoke up, surprising the other two, "Try and mold some chakra…if that mark did anything to you, we should know before we head to the tower."

"But…" Sakura started to protest.

"For all we know its some kind of explosive seal or something," Naruto cut her off, "If we wait to find out at the tower and it is, then Sasuke could indirectly take out not only us but the rest of the testers and even our sensei's!" Sakura's eyes widened as she caught on to what her teammate was saying. "It's a risk…but its one we have to take."

Sasuke snorted. "The Tenth Question?" he asked. Both Naruto and Sakura had to chuckle at the irony of the situation…he was right afterall. "Both of you…back away. If it looks like something's wrong, then I want you to get out of here. Head for the tower and get Kakashi-sensei, the proctors, anyone." He stood up, his hands coming together in the Tora seal. "I'll try activating my Sharingan. Its not nearly as draining to me as it is to Kakashi."

"How will we know if it worked?" Sakura asked.

"If I haven't…blown up…after ten seconds, come check my eyes," he replied, "Now, move!" The other two nodded, leaping away and to the other side of the clearing.

Sasuke took a few deep breaths, trying to cleanse his mind as he began focusing his energy into his hara. Slowly –far more so than was usual for him– he began to feel the build up of his chakra. He could already tell his control was out of whack, but it wasn't completely hampered. He began feeding his chakra to his eyes, closing the lids as the build up reached its peak. Almost there…almost…NOW! he thought.

"**SHARINGAN!**" he cried out, his eyes opening into the red wheals with two black tomoe around each pupil.

For a moment, all was as it normally was.

Then, hell broke loose…

**oOoOoOo**

Kabuto watched the group from above, his 'teammates' beside him as the purple-aura began surrounding the Uchiha heir.

"So, Sasuke-kun survived the application of the Ten no Juin," the silver haired medic nin noted, "And his chakra…I doubt even Orochimaru-sama was capable of such an output at that age."

"Like it matters," one of his masked compatriots replied, "He's just going to wind up a shell in the end anyway…he's little better than Sound Five."

"And yet I seem to recall Jiroubu-kun –the weakest of that group– beating you to a pulp the last time you met," Kabuto replied, "Do remember your place, Misumi-kun."

"I gotta agree with Kabuto," the second masked figure spoke, "I'm not even sure my **Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu** (Chakra Absorption Technique) could drain that much…the kid's a monster!"

"I always thought you were wuss Yoroi," Misumi replied.

"QUIET!" Kabuto muttered, stopping the argument before it began, "It looks like Naruto-kun is up to something…"

**oOoOoOo**

Naruto walked forward, even as his instincts practically screamed at him to run. He gazed at the figure before him with obvious concern, and more than a little trepidation.

Sasuke's body was covered in black, flame-like markings. The tomoe of his Sharingan were spinning widely, and his breath was coming out in deep, gasping heaves. His chakra was strong, so strong that it was visible, wreathed around him like purple flames.

"S-sasuke…kun," came the weakend voice of Sakura, "What…"

"This…power…" the Uchiha muttered, "It…it feels…GOOD!" The last came out as a whisper, but the intensity of it made it seem almost like a cry of triumph.

"Sasuke…that's enough," Naruto muttered, his left hand clenching into a fist, "Somethings wrong…look at yourself!"

The Uchiha smirked. "Whats wrong…dobe?" he asked, "This mark…its made me stronger…are you jealous?" His words started out as a whisper, but ended in a vicious snarl.

The orange clad genin frowned. "Listen to yourself," he replied, "Think! Why are you acting like this?!" His hands clenched tighter, and he felt his body tensing up, as if preparing to strike the first blow…

"Sasuke-kun."

Both genin blinked as a form appeared behind the manic Uchiha, wrapping its arms around him. It took only a moment for the two to realize it was Sakura. "Please…stop," she whispered, "You're scaring us…"

Sasuke seemed to frown, and Naruto tensed his body again. Then, to his surprise, the red eyes darkened into the familiar black of his rival, and the marks began to recede back into the original seal.

**oOoOoOo**

"Well…that was anti-climatic," Misumi muttered.

"On the contrary, it was most enlightening," Kabuto replied, "Most who survive the seal application process go berserk the first time its activated…Sasuke-kun was able to control it, and even force it down. That proves a stronger will than Orochimaru-sama anticipated."

"Heh, having a pretty girl press her boobs into his back was probably what did it," Misume countered, "She ain't exactly well developed, but she does have some stuff upstairs…I wonder how she'd like my 'special' techniques…"

"We're not here for you to grope school-girls," Yoroi replied, "Besides, I thought that the blond from the rookie group was better."

Kabuto sighed as he listend to the two perverts discuss their lolicon fetish regarding the two kunoichi. It seams, Orochimaru-sama, that you might have underestimated your chosen vessel, he thought as the he and his team leapt away. Still…I'm more concerned with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Something about him is different. He suddenly smirked to himself. Perhaps I can save you some trouble with him…I'm sure Sasori-sama and Zetsu-sama would be most interested in learning about this boy.

He kept his laughter to himself as they approached the tower.

**oOoOoOo**

Sasuke blinked as his mind cleared, and he felt the pressure of Sakura on his back. "Sakura," he muttered, "I'm all right now."

Sakura continued to hold him, even as he turned to look at Naruto. The blond seemed to be…pained, by his crushes actions, but never the less, he smiled. "You started to worry me there, teme," he spoke up, "That mark is definitely bad news."

Sasuke could feel the lingering effects of the mark throughout his body…and in truth, it felt good. "Its…addictive," the Uchiha scion replied, "I can feel it…it's like my chakra was boosted more than…more than anyone else's I've ever felt."

Sakura frowned, then moved around to face Sasuke. "You shouldn't use it," she said, "Its evil…what ever that chakra was, it wasn't you, Sasuke-kun. You could lose yourself if you use it again."

"That won't happen," Naruto replied, "He won't use it again, and I know jiji or Kakashi-sensei can do something about it." His trademark cocksure grin appeared, and for once, it didn't seem to be fake. "Come on. Lets get to that tower, and pass this exam. If we hurry, we might even be able to get ramen!"

"Naruto, is ramen all you ever eat?" Sakura asked, frowning at her hyper-active teammate.

"No, I also like eggs," he replied, "Especially when their boiled and added to my ramen."

"I give up," the pink haired kunoichi replied.

Sasuke smirked, then turned to Naruto. "You still have the scrolls, right?" he asked. Naruto nodded, patting his hip pouch. "Okay, lets go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get our injuries checked out. I'd like to go into the next test fresh."

"You got that right," the blond replied. Sakura nodded, and the trio leapt into the trees, headed for the tower…and their next exam.

**End Chapter Two.**

Next: The Prelims begin, and a clan's internal strife takes center stage.


	4. The Family Strife

Chapter Three: The Family Strife

Sakura was very apprehensive as the group approached to the tower.

When she had first become a genin, it was in the hopes that she could eventually prove to Sasuke that she was worthy of his respect, and possibly love somewhere down the line. She knew that these notions were childish, and somewhat naïve…but she was still a child herself.

The journey to Nami no Kuni was an eye opener for her. She had seen death, and suffering – things she had read about, but never fully understood. Yes, she knew how painful teasing was, but it was nothing compared to genuine hardship. She had helped to dig Zabuza's and Haku's graves after the battle, it being the first time she had ever been so close to dead bodies. She had felt her heart shatter twice on that bridge – first when she thought that Sasuke had died, and again when it turned out that he was actually alive (granted this was a good shattering, but it was still jarring to her).

When Kakashi-sensei had given them this opportunity…she had wondered whether or not she should hand in her commission as a ninja.

She was ashamed to admit it, but the very idea of delving deeper into this 'shadow world' that she had become a part of terrified her. Up until now, she had never thought that she would have to actually harm people, or do things that would send any normal person running for the hills.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Sasuke that convinced her to take the chance…it was Naruto.

Despite her dislike for the blond haired idiot, she had noticed how hard he tried. She saw how no one (not even herself, she was ashamed to admit) ever gave him a single bit of help, other than that ANBU lady who seemed to care about him -a cousin, maybe?-. Sure, she knew about Hinata's intense crush on him, but that girl was so pathologically shy that she could never say more than a word or two before turning into a tomato. Naruto was constantly trying to find things out on his own.

She had originally thought his life was an ideal one…no parents to boss you around, no siblings to annoy you (she herself was an only child, but she'd baby-sitted often enough to know how annoying brothers and sisters could be). It wasn't until Sakura had talked to Sasuke that she finally realized how painful it was not to have a mother or father to come home and cry to.

She wondered now which of the two of her boys had it worse. Sasuke's family had been slaughtered, and he had seen it happen, but at least he had the memories of his family loving and caring about him. Naruto…from everything she'd seen so far, he'd just been abandoned.

If his family could do that to a child…what kind of monsters were they?

"Meh, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out, disrupting her thoughts, "Look! We're here!"

The pink tressed girl looked up to see the tall red building looming over them. She unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

Whatever her problems, she knew she could count on Naruto and Sasuke to help her through them…and she would help them achieve their goals.

No matter what.

oOoOoOo

The group stared at the strange sign with a mixture of curiosity and frustration.

The frustration was mostly on Naruto's part.

"What the heck does this mean?" he shouted, causing his teammates to wince. The trio of genin were staring up at a large mural inside the hall that they had just entered. Parts of it were missing, and it kept talking about things like 'gain knowledge' and 'run the fields'.

"Maybe it has something to do with the scrolls?" Sakura asked, rubbing her left ear to try and rid it of the ringing caused by the blonde's shout, "The proctor lady did say it that we shouldn't open them till we got to the tower…maybe they complete this message?"

Sasuke frowned. "But what if we're not supposed to open them at all? She did say that this was a test of how we handled confidential information…just opening the scrolls now seems like a waste of time," he countered.

Naruto pulled the two scrolls from his hip pouch and looked at them. "I dunno…if delivering the scrolls was all that was needed, then why isn't anyone here to pick them up?" he asked, "I think Sakura-chan is right. We should open them up."

Sasuke found he couldn't argue with that, so he nodded. He reached over and took a hold of the Chi scroll while Naruto held onto the Ten scroll. The raven haired boy reached into his thigh pouch and withdrew a kunai to slice away the tie keeping the scroll wrapped.

"Wait!" Sakura cried out, causing the two boys to wince. They turned to here with questioning gazes, and she blushed. "Sorry," she said, "But I think we should open them at the same time…if the whole point was to get both scrolls, then it would make sense that they go together. We could trigger a trap if we open only one."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at one another, then nodded. "Brilliant as ever, Sakura-chan," Naruto grinned at the girl, "Say…"

"I am not going on a date with you after this, Naruto," the pink haired girl growled.

"Just checking," the shorter boy replied, cowering back slightly.

Sasuke smirked at the byplay, before looking at Naruto. "On the count of three?" he asked. The blonde nodded, pulling a kunai of his own out. "One…two…"

"THREE!" they shouted together, slicing the bindings and opening the scrolls.

"What the…" Sakura muttered, staring at the characters written on the paper, "Those symbols…'call forth'…'man'…"

"Shimatta!" Sasuke cursed, "Toss them away…its some kind of summoning jutsu!" He hurled the Chi scroll forward as Naruto did the same. The scrolls landed, crossing over each other, and a billow of smoke arose from the seals. When it cleared, a young woman stood before them, dressed in the standard ANBU armor and wearing a cat mask which she proceded to unhook and remove from her face.

"Congratulations," she said, "You three have just passed the second stage of the Chuunin exams."

Naruto gaped at the figure, then grinned widely. "Yuugao-neechan!" he shouted, rushing forward and grabbing the girl in a fierce hug. Sakura and Sasuke stared, mouthing 'Yuugao-neechan?' at the spectical.

"I knew you'd do well, Naruto-kun," she smiled down at the boy she'd come to see as a little brother. She still remembered how distrusting his eyes were back when he was eight years old…to see the open trust in them was staggering. "Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your teammates?"

"Eh heh heh," the blonde jinchuuriki grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Ano, Sakura-chan, Sasuke…I'd like you to meet Uzuki Yuugao. She's a member of the Uzuki, the branch family of the Uzumaki clan."

Yuugao smirked. "And an outcast, just like Naruto-kun here," she elaborated.

"So…she's your cousin, Naruto?" Sakura asked, "How come you live on your own then…shouldn't you be staying with your relative?"

"I'm an ANBU, Sakura-san," Yuugao replied, "I'm rarely at home, or even in the village long enough to watch over the gaki here."

"Gaki?! Why you…" Naruto growled, even as the purple haired girl ground her knuckles into his skull.

"If you're a member of Naruto's…family…then what about those other three?" Sasuke asked, "Naruto said he met them in the forest."

Yuugao frowned. "Uzumaki Taro, the current clan heir, Uzumaki Kenosuke who studies kenjutsu, and my own little sister, Uzuki Reika," she replied, "Unlike Naruto and myself, they're considered full members of the clan. Naruto and I are outcasts – Naruto for something that wasn't even his fault, and myself because I favored my village over my clan."

Naruto frowned. "Those three…no offense, neechan, but they're idiots," he spoke up, "They revealed almost everything about themselves to me when it was obvious that people were listening."

"Chalk it up to inexperience, Naruto-kun," she replied, "The only missions those three have ever done have been in the capital city of Hinokakujin."

"How the heck did they make the qualifications for the exam then?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," she replied. Then she smiled. "I do know that when they got here about an hour ago, Ebisu-san was the one to greet them."

Naruto laughed.

oOoOoOo

Ebisu grimaced as he lead the arrogant trio through the tower to the chambers that they would be using until the next stage. His patience, already tried by having spent the previous evening with the honorable grandson, was wearing thin at the constant barrage of questions from Taro.

"What is the outcast capable of, Ebisu-san?" the dark haired heir asked. "You mentioned in your correspondence with the council that he had achieved something that should have been impossible. You 'praised' him in the last letter, when up until that point you had nothing but disdain…"

"I have recently been given cause to change my mind about that, Taro-dono," the tokubetsu jounin replied, "Naruto-san was an almost total loss as a shinobi even with Yuugao-san's additional training, but in the last few months he has begun to transform into a formidable genin."

Reika snorted, running a hand through her purple tresses as they continued to walk down the corridor. "If he's so 'formidable', why the hell does he wear that ridiculous orange jumpsuit of his? Doesn't he know the first thing about concealment and camouflage?"

Ebisu had to stop himself from glaring at the girl. His position as the clan representative for the Uzumaki was…tenuous…at best, given his recent changes in attitude regarding the clan pariah, and Reika was highly praised by both the Uzuki branch and even the main house. Getting on her bad side, while undoubtably fun, would only make things difficult for him and his two relatives in the village.

"Naruto-san wears those clothes because that is all he can afford," the bespectacled man answered, "His genin pay, plus the stipend from Hokage-sama is used primarily to stock his weapons, food, and pay the rent on his apartment. He chooses practicality over fashion."

Reika smirked. "With that fashion sense, he'd be lucky to be a court jester back in the capital," she laughed.

"Reika-san, do not underestimate the outcast," Kenosuke muttered, "We still do not know what he is truly capable of."

"Yeah yeah," she muttered.

Taro just continued to stare at the back of his elder cousin, Uzumaki Ebisu, while they walked down the hall. You are hiding something, Ebisu, he thought, And I shall find out what.

oOoOoOo

Kakashi, Anko, and the Hokage stared at the mark upon Sasuke's neck with more than a little anger and fear.

"The Ten no Juin!" Anko growled, her killing intent laying an almost oppressive feel to the room. Naruto and Sakura looked worried, while Sasuke glanced over in surprise.

"You know what this is?" he asked.

The wildly dressed kunoichi nodded, her hand moving up to her own shoulder. "Its Orochimaru's 'pride and joy'," she explained, "It gives the bearer an incredible boost of speed, strength, and chakra. While that happens, however, the seal eats away at your will. If you use it too much…you become his mindless servant. A puppet, with him holding the strings."

Sakura gasped, while both Naruto and Sasuke growled.

"Damn that hebi freak!"

"I'm no one's puppet! Not his and not Itachi's!"

"Maa maa, just calm down you two," Kakashi muttered, "Thanks Naruto's efforts, we can contain this now and still let you compete in the exam. Just let Hokage-sama and I do our thing, and we'll have you ready to go."

"Ano, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, "Can I talk to you for a moment before you help Sasuke? It's kind of important."

The silver haired jounin glanced at his loudmouth pupil, before nodding. "Sure, Naruto," he replied, "Anko, would you escort Sakura to some quarters while I speak with the gaki?"

"HEY!"

"Yeah, sure," the wild kunoichi muttered, "C'mon pinky, let give the boys their 'special' time…"

"Umm, could you not call me pinky?" the pink tressed girl asked.

"Sure, pinky."

"Sigh."

oOoOoOo

"So, Naruto, what can I do for you?" the silver haired cyclops asked his most unusual student.

Naruto's normally bright eyes were dark as he looked at his sensei. While he did admire Kakashi's strength and skill, and the man definitely had his respect, Naruto had to admit to himself that he didn't think of his jonin instructor as much of a teacher. Still, he knew that if anyone could understand his problem, Kakashi was the most likely person.

"Its…about my 'relatives'," the blond boy replied, practically spitting out the last word.

Kakashi had expected this. Given his own feelings regarding family, Naruto's rage was easy to understand. His own father had abandoned him when he committed suicide, leaving him to fight for his own livelihood. It was difficult to admit, but even after Obito's words to him that day, and his own acceptance of his father's legacy…he still had some resentment towards Sakumo.

In his case, however, his father was dead. Naruto's family…they had just left him behind.

"I ran into them in the forest," Naruto continued, "I…I know its wrong…but I…I wanted…"

"You wanted to make them pay for all the pain you've had to feel all these years," Kakashi muttered, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Naruto nodded, not trusting his own voice at the moment. "While it is true that those three genin are not the one's responsible for what happened to you, it is understandable why you would want them to feel what you've felt."

"But…"

"If you're going to say that that makes you no better than the Kyuubi, then shut up right now," the jonin replied, almost snapping at the short boy, "You may have wanted them to feel the same pain you've felt, but _you didn't hurt them_! You kept that legendary temper of yours in check…and that's a sign of how much you've grown as a shinobi." Naruto looked up in shock, and Kakashi continued on that vein. "I told you before the first test that I was proud of the three of you…but truth be told, I was proudest of all in you, Naruto."

Naruto felt his eyes watering at that. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Now, go rest up, and focus on what comes next," the silver haired man ordered, "I'm going to help Hokage-sama seal up Sasuke's curse mark, and then we'll meet up for the next exam.

"Hai! Thanks sensei!" the energetic blond replied, before rushing off after Sakura and Anko. Kakashi's uncovered eye lingered on the boy as he vanished down the corridor.

Sarutobi walked up behind him, puffing on his long pipe. "You didn't tell him," the elderly ninja muttered.

"No," Kakashi answered, shaking his head, "How could I? At this stage, after how far he's come since that night?"

"You think he'll handle it any better when he finds out in two days?"

"I don't know."

Sarutobi sighed. "Well, what's done is done," he said, "Now, let's seal up my foolish student's mistake, and prepare for the next round. Hayate-kun will proctor the third stage."

Kakashi smiled. "Well, at least Naruto will like that."

oOoOoOo

"So, you learned nothing from Ebisu?"

"No, he was very tight-lipped about the entire situation," Taro replied, as he and his two teammates knelt before their sensei, "We did not make contact with Uzuki Yuugao either. We do know that she has helped the outcast in training from time to time, but nothing can account for the rumors we have heard about his supposed 'strength'."

"I should have known you'd fail at something so simple, Taro-kun," a new voice came from the side. The three Uzumaki genin turned to see a young woman leaning against the wall. She was dressed in a simple dark-blue jumpsuit with black borders and piping along the seams, and a dark green chuunin vest was worn open on her slim shoulders. Her pale blue hair was done up in a side pony-tail, and her hitai-ate was secured around her forehead. Her attractive face bore an unappealing smirk, and her shocking blue eyes seemed to cut into the Uzumaki heir.

Reika snarled at that. "Taro-kun did not fail!" she snapped at the other girl, "There was no…"

"When I want your opinion, I'll figure it out for myself, Uzuki," the other girl replied, cutting the purple haired kunoichi off in mid-rant.

"Reika-san, please, do not disrespect the main family," Kenosuke, ever the peacemaker of the group, muttered to the indignant girl. "Kanna-neesama…"

"I do not need your opinion either, Kenosuke-kun," the girl, Uzumaki Kanna replied.

"That is enough from all of you!" the sensei snapped, quieting the four before Taro could add his own opinion on the matter. "It is regrettable that you learned nothing of…the boy's skills, but for now it is of little concern. Take rest, and prepare for the next stage."

"Hai, sensei," the three genin replied, bowing and walking out of the room.

"I expect better from you, Kanna," the sensei spoke up after a lengthy pause.

Kanna sniffed. "Since when is that any different from usual?" she replied, standing and walking towards the door.

"You will show me proper respect, young lady!" The blue haired girl snorted at that.

"I speak only the truth," she laughed, "After all…isn't that how you taught me to act…"

"…Oka-sama?"

oOoOoOo

Two days later…

Sarutobi looked over the remaining genin with a critical eye as he explained the purpose for the Chuunin Exams. His eyes swept over the newly sealed Sasuke with concern, before settling on his orange clad teammate with equal concern. The boy was glaring at the hauntingly beautiful woman standing next to Kurenai, while her own electric blue eyes seemed to bore both into the blonde genin and himself with equal measure.

"Make no mistake," the oldest living Kage's voice rang out over the twenty-four chuunin hopefuls, "You are fighting for the pride of your village, and for the pride of your countries. That, more than anything else, is the real purpose of the Chuunin Exam."

His eyes landed upon the team comprised of Naruto's relatives, and he was forced to repress the urge to scowl. He had nothing against the trio personally…but the way they stood there, full of un-earned arrogance and swagger, when not five feet away was a member of their clan who had had to fight for everything he had ever had…it sickened him.

How far has that clan fallen since you left us, Arashi? he wondered.

"cough cough…Ano, Hokage-sama?" a new voice came, as a pale, haggard looking ninja wearing the standard jounin attire as well as a katana strapped to his back, appeared infront of the group. Naruto's eyes widened, and his face, which had been set in a serious (at least for him) scowl, broke into a large grin.

"OI! Hayate-sempai!" he shouted, causing the entire assembly to stare at him. Yuugao, who stood behind Sarutobi, smirked beneath her mask, as she noticed the jounin with the dark blue hair to the left scowl at the boy."

"Ah cough Naruto-kun," the sickly jounin greeted the smiling youth, "I had a feeling you'd make it this far."

Naruto smiled even wider. "Oh, I ain't stopping here, sempai!" he replied, "I'm going all the way! Dattebayo!"

"What a disgrace," Taro muttered, loud enough for all assembled to hear. Naruto simply leveled a glare at the Uzumaki heir, before turning back to the front.

"Ahem," Hayate continued, clearing his throat, "Now, cough before we begin…"

So it continued, as Kabuto –the strange white haired kid from the first exam- dropped from the running, and the first match was decided.

Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke.

The match was…interesting, if a bit anti-climatic. Yoroi's _Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu _caught Sasuke by surprise for a few moments, but the raven haired Uchiha quickly broke free. From there, it was a simple matter of whose taijutsu was superior, and with a borrowed mule kick and Kage Buyo from Lee, Sasuke's 'Shi Shi Rendan' quickly ended the fight.

As Sasuke walked back up to his team, he took a moment to stop next to a shaking Lee. "You still have me on Taijutsu, Lee-san," he muttered, "I know you were still holding back. I promise, when your match starts I won't use my Sharingan. That taijutsu is yours…I'll get stronger my own way."

Gai and Kakashi both looked at the two young men with great pride, as Lee smiled and extended his hand. "Yosh, Sasuke-san," Lee replied, "I truly look forward to facing you again someday, when neither of us has any reason to hold back. Such a match would surely demonstrate the power of our Youth!"

"Uh…right," the Uchiha scion muttered, sweat-drops forming on the back of his head.

Naruto smirked as the dark haired boy rejoined them. "Nice fight, teme!" he crowed, "But it seemed kinda cheap there at the end…"

"You just make sure you give it your all as well, dobe," he replied, "Besides…you're one of the people I want to fight the most."

Naruto's mouth clamped shut at that, and for a moment his eyes seemed to water. Sasuke had just given him what he had sought after more than anything else save the title of Hokage…acknowledgement.

"Oh, I'll win allright! Dattebayo!" the blond grinned, as the raven haired boy smirked back.

"Boys…" Sakura muttered, even as Kakashi shook his head. The groups turned to the screen, as the second match finally came up.

oOoOoOo

Uzumaki Kenosuke vs. Sabaku no Kankuro.

The sword wielding youth calmly walked down to the arena, his mind already focusing on the task ahead. His face was set in a cold mask, and his blue-grey eyes were like flecks of steel.

His opponent, the black garbed Suna-nin Kankuro, smirked as he looked at the sword strapped to Kenosuke's side. "Huh," he said, "And here I thought this was supposed to be an exam for shinobi…instead, I'm fighting some wanna-be samurai. I'm almost insulted."

Kenosuke frowned. "I am a shinobi," he replied, "Though I will admit, I am not all that skilled at ninjutsu and genjutsu. As for taijutsu…regrettably, though I am of the main family of the Uzumaki, I am only tolerably proficient in the family style." He drew his sword with a flourished motion, his chakra already flowing through the blade as well as his legs. "My true talent is indeed kenjutsu…and that is more than enough for someone like you."

Kankuro laughed. "So you're a close range fighter," he chuckled, "And you think that's more than enough? Kid, I'm so gonna enjoy this." He slung the wrapped bundle off of his back, dropping it to the ground with a loud thump. "You say your taijutsu sucks huh? Well, lets see just how poor you are!"

Hayate, standing near the Hitsugi Statue, frowned. This Kankuro is hiding something, he thought, What's he planning?

Kenosuke frowned. "If you are choosing to go hand to sword, then you are truly a fool, Suna-nin," he muttered, "I had heard that the Wind Daimyo had been seeking other villages to perform missions. I see why now…if Sunagakure's nins are so incompetent as to rush into a battle they cannot win."

oOoOoOo

Up in the stands Naruto was frowning. "He doesn't get it," the blond boy muttered. Sakura and Sasuke were nodding as well.

Shikamaru sighed. "Mendosuke," he muttered, "And here I thought Naruto was the idiot of our age." Ino and Chouji gave their teammate funny looks.

"What do you mean?" Ino asked, "This guy may sound like an arrogant jerk, but he does have the advantage if that Suna kid attacks him with bare hands."

"I don't get it either," Chouji muttered around a mouthful of chips (bar-b-que at the moment).

"Just watch," their sensei, Sarutobi Asuma replied around his cigarette, "And remember your lessons on deception."

oOoOoOo

"cough cough cough Second match," Hayate announced, "Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Uzumaki Kenosuke…HAJIME!"

Kenosuke began spinning his sword in front of himself, the tip of the blade glowing blue as his chakra surged through it. As he spun the blade around, a spiral like image began to appear.

Kankuro frowned. "What the heck…" he whispered, even as he felt his opponents chakra surge.

Kenosuke's eyes closed as the spiral completed, and he slowly brought the sword down to his right side, both hands now resting on the hilt. The entire blade began to glow blue, and for a few brief seconds that seemed to span an eternity, nothing in the arena moved. Still, the spiral image remained hovering in the air between the two combatants, almost as if it could sustain itself.

Suddenly, the spiral flashed out of existence, and Kenosuke's eyes opened. With a sudden burst of chakra, he shot forwards at his opponent, crying out as he did…

"KENJUTSU HIGI: UZUMAKI YAIBA NO MAI!" (Sword Art Secret: Dance of the Spiral Blade)

There was a series of blue flashes as the blade stabbed forward, following the spiral pattern that had been visible only a few seconds before. Kenosuke's arms were a blur, even as his steel-like eyes flashed with killer intent. With one last stab, Kenosuke performed a spinning slash that launched the Suna-nin up and back, landing on the ground behind his package with a heavy thud.

"The pen maybe mightier than the sword," the white garbed Uzumaki spoke, "But the sword will trump the hand any day of the week." He turned to the proctor. "I believe that the match is over, sensei. I shall rejoin my team."

"Heh heh heh heh," came the voice of his opponent, "Who says we're done, sword-boy?"

Kenosuke leapt backward, turning his eyes to the bundle on the ground even as it unraveled, revealing the same ninja he had just finished annihalting. "How?" he muttered, before noticing a blue glow around the boy's fingers. He turned to the other 'Kankuro', noticing it begin to stand, even as bits a pieces of the clothes fell off, revealing a brown garbed…monstrosity with four arms and three eyes.

"You can stab him all you want," Kankuro laughed, "But that alone won't stop Karasu!"

"I see," the brown haired boy replied, "One of the trademark techniques of Sunagakure…Kugutsu no Jutsu. You are a puppeteer."

Kankuro laughed. "You really must be green if you couldn't see my deception," he said, "Hell, even that annoying orange punk up there saw it before you did."

Kenosuke frowned, sparing a glance at Naruto, who was smirking at him. "A ninja's first task is to see 'underneath the underneath'," the outcast called out to him, "But then, I don't expect someone who hasn't done any real missions to understand that!"

The sword wielding boy scowled, before leaping away while pulling a small flask from his dogi. "Since it seems I will be fighting something unexpected," he spoke, "I guess I'll have to act accordingly. I was hoping to save this technique for the finals…oh well, it is not to be." He opened the flask, pouring oil onto his blade. He flashed through a quick three seal sequence, and then blew a small puff of flame at the blade. The oil ignited, and the flames surged. "Kenjutsu: Uzumaki Kaji Ken no Mai. This time you will fall." (Sword Art: Dance of the Spiral Fire Sword)

Kankuro laughed. "Flashy, and cool-looking, I'll give you that," he shouted, even as he manipulated the chakra strings connected to Karasu, forcing the construct to move around, weapons shifting into position for assault, "But the problem is that oil will only last for so long, and then the fire will die out! You won't have time to get through my defenses before it goes off, and even then, you still have to get to me."

Kenosuke smirked. "The fire will die out?" he asked, "Now, what makes you think that the fire will die out?" As Kankuro's eyes widened, he laughed. "Indeed. The oil and that small katon jutsu were simply catalysts to start the dance. Once the fire is ignites, all it needs to keep going is chakra."

Kankuro frowned. "So that should mean you'd have to cancel the jutsu even faster," he muttered, "Something like that must eat up chakra faster than a school of piranha eating a cow."

The Uzumaki swordsman shook his head. "That would be true…if not for my sword," he replied, "My sword is like a chakra storage battery. I've had it by my side since I could walk, slowly filling it with my chakra. Like certain seals, this sword can compress the chakra, building it up until I need to use it. All it takes then is a small jutsu of any elemental type to activate its powers." Kankuro's eyes widened at that. "That's right, Suna-nin. Kaji Ken is but one of several elemental dances I have, not that you'll see the others. You will fall here."

"KARASU!" Kankuro shouted, the puppet surging forward, arms snapping out to launch a volley of kunai at the sword wielding youth. Kenosuke surged his chakra to his legs, leaping above the projectiles, spinning around to slash at the puppet, only for it to dance out of range.

The battle had only just begun…

oOoOoOo

Sakura glanced at the kunais now littering the ground. She saw some kind of black ichor dripping off of several of them, and she gasped. "Those kunai…their drenched in poison!" she spoke, horrified at the thought.

"It makes sense," Kakashi explained, "Kugutsu no jutsu is a mid-range fighting style, but even with a sturdy puppet, it can be overcome rather easily. Most puppeteers add special weapons and poisons to their creations. More often than not, a puppeteer will have a knowledge of poisons rivaling that of a fully trained medical ninja."

"That Suna-nin has been taking this match seriously since the very start," Hyuuga Neji, the silent teammate of Rock Lee spoke up, "That Uzumaki boy underestimated him from the very beginning."

Several feet away, Uzuki Reika laughed. At the looks from the other people on their balcony, she spoke. "Kenosuke never underestimates anyone," she said, "He deliberately makes people think he has. That Suna-nin has no chance in this fight!"

"How do you figure that?" Tenten asked.

"Because Kenosuke could've finished this without the Kaji Ken no Mai," Taro spoke up, not looking away from the fight, even as his sensei stiffened behind him, "Kenosuke only uses his elemental dances when he wants to make a statement."

"So far all he's stated is that he's an idiot," Naruto growled, also not looking away from the fight. He felt a pair of eyes boring into the back of his head, but he chose to ignore them, intent on watching the match. "He's gonna lose. Dattebayo."

oOoOoOo

Kankuro frowned as he made Karasu dance away from the fiery sword yet again. I hate to admit it, but this kid is good, he thought as his puppet launched a volley of needles at the boy, only for him to whip his blade around and deflect the poisoned projectiles, I've already had to reveal so much of Karasu's workings to this crowd…I was hoping to save them for the plan, but I guess I'll have to use them now!

Kenosuke glared at the Suna-nin, noting his fingers moving in a complicated pattern. He's gearing up for something big, he thought, I have to end this now!

He began surging his chakra through his blade, increasing the heat and power of the flames around his sword. He began to spin in place, the flames circling around him as he concentrated on his plan.

"NOW!" Kankuro shouted, even as Karasu split in two, the legs and lower body separating from the top and arms as a second head emerged, its mouth opening and revealing a cannon like interior mounting. The top half swung its arms forward, launching a new volley of poisoned kunai, even as Kenosuke called out his technique.

"KAJI KEN KOUDAN: RYUMAI!" (Fire Sword Second Part: Dragon Dance)

He finished his spin with a powerful double handed forward slash, a surge of flame leaping from the blade, catching the kunais in its wake and hurling them away. The wall of fire caught the upper half of Karusu, knocking it away, even as the lower half launched a small sphere that exploded at the boy's feet, a cloud of gas flowing up and into his lungs.

Poison gas bomb! he though, as he slumped over.

Kankuro leapt away from the flames, bringing the lower half of Karasu around to aim a blade at the stricken boy's throat.

"You got some skills, punk," the black garbed boy chuckled, "But for a skilled puppeteer, using two puppets at once is a piece of cake. Now…yield. I have the antidote to that poison. Surrender, and its yours."

"I…cough cough…will not…cough…bow…to cough such…filth!" Kenosuke growled.

"Hmmph, fine," Kankuro frowned, "Seems like the spoiled samurai wannabe wants to die 'honorably'. Well, I got a news flash for you, sword boy." He bent down, whispering into Kenosuke's ear. "We're ninja…we don't do 'honorable deaths'."

Hayate interrupted them. "Shousha, Sabaku no Kankuro," he said, before launching into his own coughing fit. "Kankuro-san…please hand cough cough me the antidote."

Kankuro shrugged, before tossing a small packet to the pale jounin. "Steep it in some tea and have him drink it," he instructed, "It'll taste like crap, but it'll purge the poison from his system. He doesn't deserve…the honor of dying by my poisons." He gave the kneeling boy another glare. "Idiots who don't know when to quit are usually the first to die on the battle field." With a few quick motions, he had Karasu reassembled and re-wrapped, before he shunshinned back to his waiting teammates.

Kenosuke was lead out by the medics.

Reika scowled as her cousin was carried out by the attendees. "How!?!" she growled, "Kenosuke is the best kenjutsu student in all of our clan!"

Taro frowned at his cousin's outburst. "Calm yourself, Reika," he berated the shorter girl, "Kenosuke made a mistake when judging that Suna-nin. As pathetic as that is, he still surpasses many of the others here." He let his gaze fall upon Naruto, as well as the pair of Hyuuga present, though they lingered on the girl longer than was necessary.

Behind him, Uzumaki Kagura was frowning, but for a different reason. Though her eyes were not upon him at the moment, her thoughts were focused on the orange clad form of her 'son'.

How could they let him become a shinobi? she wondered, as the computer began cycling through names once more, Even if he has skills…what of the beast inside him? To allow him to fight would allow the Kyuubi to influence him. Sarutobi, what have you done?

After so many years, it was easy to ignore the voice inside her asking what she had done as well.

oOoOoOo

The computer cycled through the names, before finally settling on a new pair.

Kinuta Dosu vs Aburame Shino

The strange genin from the village of Oto leapt down into the arena, even as his opponent walked down the stairs at a far more sedate pace.

"Ano, Shino-san," Hinata spoke, "Do your best!"

"Yeah, kick his ass, Aburame!" Kiba laughed, "Team 8 sweeping the prelims! Now that'd be cool!"

Shino sighed as he continued into the arena, his eyes staying locked onto his opponent. The bandaged wrapped Oto-nin was rubbing the strange device attached to his left arm. His 'family' was already reacting to it, especially his queen, Sachiko. They didn't like the strange noises coming from it.

Oto indeed, he thought, as the sickly proctor made the announcement.

"cough cough cough Aburame Shino vs Sochin Dosu," Hayate muttered, "HAJIME!"

"Huh, so I get some no name ninja instead of that Uzumaki punk," Dosu muttered, his hands coming together in the hebi seal, "I guess I'll just have to make this quick."

Shino made no reply, even as his kikaichu began flowing in waves out of his jacket, surrounding him in a fog of black and moving legs. "You would do best to not underestimate me," he replied quietly, "Like so many things in the life of a ninja, there is more to me than meets the eye."

Dosu's one visible eye widened at the site of so many bugs. "What the hell…what are you?" he growled out.

"A shinobi," was the only reply. The trench coat wearing genin thrust his arms forward, the sea of insects hurling itself at the bandaged genin.

Dosu leapt back, his hands flying through a quick seal sequence.

Hebi, Tora, Saru, Inu, Hebi. "NINPOU: DOKU OTO KEN!" (Ninja Art: Poison Sound Fist). His chakra surged, a visible distortion wave pushing through the air and impacting against the multi-legged army storming towards him.

The swarm seemed to pause, then began scattering wildly about the room. Shino's eyes widened behind his glasses, even as he leapt away from his competitor who swung his fist in a wide arc that ended at the ground.

That was sloppy, he thought, Why would…w-what…

He vaguely noticed his peers gasping as he fell to the ground, his stomach emptying its meager contents. His vision blurred, even as he glared at Dosu, who had paused his assault.

"Just now feeling it, aren't you?" the Oto-nin spoke, his voice ringing painfully in Shino's ears. "Sound waves. They can disintegrate stone, heal wounds, or even disrupt the inner ear." He knelt down. "Your insects are no exception. Confuse them with a burst of noise pollution, and it leaves you open."

Shino focused his mind through the pain, and he began tapping his fingers in what looked like a random pattern. He forced himself to his feet, before motioning to his 'family' to reassemble.

Dosu frowned, before raising his arm and flicking a finger against the metal of his gauntlet. A sharp ringing sound echoed through the arena, causing several people to wince in pain, while Shino groaned as the full force of the sound wave impacted against him.

"Give it up, punk," Dosu growled, "I could've beat you from the very start." He raised his hand again. "This time I'll use a tone that'll make it seem like you're being shredded by a saw…I shudder to think what that'll do to your bugs."

"You…won't get…the chance," Shino muttered, as the insects surged forward again, spinning around the surprised nin in a miniature tornado. The buzzing of the insects seemed to grow louder and softer at random intervals, almost as if the kikai were all talking at once.

Dosu felt the bugs begin to crawl on his body, and he quickly flicked his fingers against the gauntlet in a three-tap sequence, creating a set of tones that caused Akamaru, Kiba, and Naruto up in the stands to wince in agony, while the Oto Kunoichi Kin also winced.

The Kikai seemed to take great offence at the strange tone, and large numbers of them circled around the strange device, covering the holes and biting into the skin underneath.

"ARRGHHH!" Dosu screamed, as several of the poisonous kikai bites began to burn. Even as he screamed, he could feel himself growing weaker. My…chakra… he thought, even as he saw the Aburame boy straighten up.

"You must feel it now," the quiet boy muttered, his voice penetrating the swarm's buzzing, "My kikai feed off of chakra. While they block your weapon, they also leech the chakra from you, leaving you open."

"How…" Dosu whimpered, as the bugs continued to drain his strength.

"When I was tapping my fingers," the sunglassed boy replied, "Insects do communicate through sound…but that isn't the only way. Bees, for example, can communicate information to their colonies by 'dancing' in a particular pattern. My kikai can do the same, and I can talk to them by simulating the dance by the rhythms of my fingers. They feel me tapping in a unique pattern, and they know what to do." Shino smirked behind his jacked as Dosu fell to the ground, his family returning to him. He briefly noted that 'Akane', one of Sachiko's more temperamental daughters, was not happy with the taste of the chakra she'd just consumed.

He spared a glance at the prone form of his opponent. "You couldn't beat me," he said, "Because you underestimated me."

"Shousha, Aburame Shino," Hayate muttered. This batch of rookies…just how strong are they? he wondered.

oOoOoOo

"Wow, now that was so cool!" Naruto grinned, turning to Kiba, "Man, that Shino guy is strong, huh Kiba?"

Kiba smirked at the loudmouth. "Oh yeah," he replied, "I'm glad I didn't have to fight him. Shino's got the best chance of our team at making chuunin…but I'm still gonna beat him to it!"

"HA! I'll beat you both to it, dog breath!" the orange clad boy laughed.

"WHA'D YOU SAY, PUNK!?!" the Inuzuka boy growled, the pair going off into an insult match.

"Ano, Kiba-san, Naruto-kun," Hinata muttered, "P-Please don't fight…"

"Ah, this isn't fighting, Hinata-chan," Naruto grinned, garnering a blush from the Hyuuga girl, "This is practice!"

"Wha…practice?" Kiba muttered, confused, "Practice for what, you idiot?"

"Practice for me humiliating you like I always do!" Naruto grinned, earning several chuckles from the assembled genin.

"Oh, I'm going to get you for that, you ramen loving dobe!" Kiba growled.

Naruto laughed, even as Hinata blushed at being so close to the boy she admired.

Kurenai smirked at her wild genin's boast, even as Hinata blushed. She noticed the gaze Hinata directed towards Naruto. Oh dear, she thought, So that's why you always seem so distracted during our missions. She smiled. Good for you, Hinata.

Uzumaki Kagura also noticed the gaze. A…Hyuuga…blushing at _him_?

Her thoughts were interrupted as a new match was determined.

OOoOoOo

Tsuchi Kin vs Sabaku no Temari

Kin frowned as she stared at the taller kunoichi. That weapon on her back could be a problem, she thought, even as the proctor started their match. I have to make it through this round…

"Trying to figure out how to beat me?" Temari asked. "I got news for you; whatever sound technique you use, I can beat it." She pulled the black object from behind her back, letting the bottom edge hit the ground. "My Dai Tessan has three moons…I'm giving you two chances to give up. If I open it to the third moon…you will lose."

Kin glared at the girl. A fuuton user, she thought, That means my bells won't work unless I can get them behind her. She slid into a standard Iwa taijutsu stance, uncaring of the frowns directed at her from the majority of the Konoha-nin present. I'll just have to try something different. She leapt into the air, smirking at the Suna girl's confusion. Her hands began to blur through a sequence.

Hebi, inu, saru, tori, ryu, hitsugi, hebi. "DOTON: JISHIN KEN!" (Earth Release: Earthquake Fist) she cried, slaming her palm to the ground, a sudden surge of chakra leaving her body, a break appearing in the floor as the ground began to shake.

Temari leapt into the air, even as Kin whipped out a set of her senbon, hurling them at the blond girl. The blond frowned, whipping her fan open to the first moon and scattering the needles, causing a faint ringing sound to be heard. Her eyes darting to the source of the sound, locating several needles with bells attached. So, that's her game, she thought.

Kin began another seal sequence as the Suna girl landed. Ending with the tori seal, she called out a new jutsu. "DOTON: RETSUDOTENSHO!" (Earth Release: Split Earth Turn Around the Palm). A bunch of debris from the floor rose up and began circling around the her opponent, even as she readied another set of senbon with bells. She flung them at the wall behind Temari, as the Suna girl called out her own technique.

"FUUTON: KAZEITACHI ENKEI!" (Wind Release: Wind Scythe Circle) The debris seemed to break apart into 'slices', the dust blowing away to reveal Temari's fan opened to the second moon. "I'm onto you now, girl!" she shouted, swinging the fan to unleash a gust of wind at the Oto girl.

Kin cried out as the winds hurled her into the opposite wall, her body screaming in agony. She was sure at least a few ribs had cracked under the force of impact, and her legs seemed to cry out in pain as well.

Temari frowned as the dark haired girl stood up. "What are you standing for?" she called out, "You know I won't let you use those bells like that Dosu guy used that arm of his. You can toss all the senbon you want and you won't be able to hit me. You only have one more chance, then all three moons will be visible."

"I…have…to face…that…Uzumaki," Kin groaned, "He…has…to pay…for…my sister!"

"What?" Temari asked.

"I'm…from…Tsuchi no Kuni," the dark tressed girl continued, "My…sister…was an…Iwa kunoichi…"

Naruto frowned. I don't like the sound of this… he wondered.

"She…was…raped and…mutilated…by the UZUMAKI CLAN!" the girl screeched, "I…was four…when she…died…" She took a few steadying breaths, before glaring at the Suna girl. "I…will make that clan pay." She glanced up at Naruto, and was surprised to see a strange look in his eyes.

Compassion…and understanding?

"I can't say I know your pain," Temari replied, "I don't have a sister…but I do care for my brothers." Her eyes darted to Gaara, who continued to glower at the floor underneath him, "I can tell you want justice…but you won't get it today." She calmly slipped the fan open again, this time showing all three moons. "Still, you are pretty good. I don't think I'd have gotten as good a fight from the other kunoichi here."

Kin focused her chakra, trying to attach some strings to the bells, even as Temari swung the fan.

"FUUTON: KAMITACHI!"

The winds buffeted against the prone girl, her mind succumbing to the sweet darkness.

oOoOoOo

So that's why she wanted to fight Taro and the others so badly, Naruto thought, Her pain…she misses her family. He frowned as he spared a glance at the blue haired jonin standing behind Taro and Reika. I guess…I can undertand that loneliness.

The computer began cycling through names again, and Naruto's eyes widened at the next match.

Uzuki Reika vs Uzumaki Naruto

End Chapter 3.


	5. Emotional Maelstrom

Disclaimer: Marty! You Gotta come back with me! Back to the Future, where I STILL DON'T OWN NARUTO!

AN: Story will go up to M rating now. There's some naughty stuff, as well as more coming. Now, on with the Fic!

**Forsaken**

**Chapter Four: Emotional Maelstrom**

Hinata stared at the screen, then looked over to the person she admired the most. She managed to hold back the gasp that threatened to escape her lips as she looked into the brilliant blue eyes that defined Naruto so much.

She recalled one of the few lessons that her mother, Shikuko, had managed to pass on to her before succumbing to the illness that had taken hold of her after the birth of Hanabi. She had said that no matter how well trained a shinobi was, they eyes would always tell the true story.

Naruto-kun, she thought, as the blue eyes she had come to adore clouded over with…rage, and pain, What…what did they do to you? Why does it hurt you so much?

The blond genin started making his way down to the fighting area, even as his opponent started to chuckle.

"Well, what fortuitous circumstance is this?" the purple haired kunoichi called Reika laughed, "I'm so sorry, Taro-kun." She turned her brown eyes to the dark haired Uzumaki. "I know you wanted to be the one to beat the outcast down, but I guess you'll just have to do with watching it happen."

Taro grunted. "Feel free, Reika," he replied, "I just want a good show. I'm sure we all do…" he turned to look at the woman standing behind him, "Neh, Kagura-sensei?"

Hinata turned to the blue haired woman, frowning at the lack of emotion on her face. Why would she…

The blue haired beauty spoke only a few words, but they washed over the assembled genin like a frozen wave, the lack of emotion causing even the stoic Neji to raise an eyebrow.

"Win your match, Reika," she intoned, "Do not disappoint us."

Reika frowned. "Hai, Kagura-sensei," she replied, forming the hitsuji seal and shunshuing down into the arena.

Kakashi and Asuma had turned to the blue haired woman, their eyes hard as she returned their glare.

"Are you planning on berating me, Kakashi-kun, Asuma-kun?" the Uzumaki matron asked, "I followed the wishes of the clan. Nothing more."

Kakashi's voice was as cold as ice as he responded. "I think _he'd_ be ashamed of you," the silver haired jounin replied, "He told me Obito's words were something to take to heart…I would have thought you, as his _wife_, would have honored his wishes above even the clan."

Asuma took a puff off the cigarette in his mouth. "I think I'm ashamed of you myself…sensei," he added, causing his own students to stare up at him in shock, "I'd always thought you were better than that."

Kagura frowned, then turned to watch the events in the arena, closing herself off from the glares of her late husband's student, and her own former pupil.

The match was about to begin.

oOoOoOo

Naruto stared at the purple haired girl before him, his mind focused solely on her as Hayate announced the match.

"Fifth match; Uzumaki Naruto vs. Uzuki Reika," he muttered, coughing slightly, "HAJIME!"

Reika smirked as she back flipped away from the blond boy, putting some distance between herself and the scowling boy.

"You know," she said, "We've heard of your so called 'exploits' even in Hinokakujin, outcast." She frowned when Naruto showed no reaction to her words. "We even heard about that mission your team took to Nami no Kuni…C-rank to A-rank, and successfully completed to boot." She smirked. "Of course, given that your team had the famous Sharingan no Kakashi, and you have the last of the Uchiha…well, I can certainly see who did all the work."

Naruto frowned. "Are you gonna fight, or try and talk me to death?" he asked, "I don't care what insults you throw at me…after almost nine years, I'm numb to it."

Reika frowned, before sliding into a strange taijutsu stance. Her hands were brought in front of her body, one fist closed and near her face, while the other was set like a claw, away from her chest. She turned slightly to the side, keeping her eyes on the blonde before her. "Uzumaki kuran taijutsu: **Hyogi**!" (Uzumaki clan taijutsu: Open Skill)

Her opponent frowned, before shifting into his own taijutsu stance…one that left the Uzuki girl gaping in surprise.

He brought his hands together before him, raising them up to chin level, turning his body slightly and widening his stance. His blue eyes seemed to flash in defiance of the girl, and his face developed a strange smirk.

Impossible! was the only thought Reika could contemplate.

oOoOoOo

"This…that stance!" Taro was growling up on the gangway. The other rookies glanced at him as he seethed in rage. "How…how dare he use that style! He has no right!"

Kakashi chuckled. "Actually, since it was taught to him by your clan," he stated, causing the dark haired boy to scowl, "He has every right to use the **Eigi** ryu." (Shadow Skill).

Asuma spared a glance at Kagura, noting that her eyes had changed. Before, they were just solid chips of ice when staring at the blonde boy she had abandoned. Now, however, there was emotion in those orbs…shock being the most prevalent of all.

oOoOoOo

Reika snarled as she began to circle Naruto, her eyes instinctively seeking out his feet. I've sparred against Taro-kun and Kanna-neesama, she thought, I may not know the style, but I do know how to fight it! If I keep my eyes on his footwork, I can easily counter his moves…

"If your not going to start, then I will!" Naruto shouted, his hands flying through a seal sequence, ending on the ryu seal. "**FUUTON: ATSUGAI**!" (Wind release: Great Pressure)

Reika leapt to the side, barely avoiding the gust of wind, her hands flying through her own seal sequence, ending on tori. "**SUITON: TEPPOU DAMA**!" (Water release: Water Bullet!) She spat forth a mid-sized sphere of water, forcing Naruto to back-flip away.

Reika rushed forward, grabbing one of Naruto's out-stretched arms and, with a pivot on her left foot, sent the orange clad genin hurling towards the western wall. She followed with another seal sequence, this one ending with ryu. "**FUUTON: RENKUDAN**!" (Wind release: Drilling Air Bullet) a burst of howling winds shot from her hands, impacting against the blond boy and futher propelling him into the wall.

His impact was announced with a large boom, and a deep impression in the wall…

oOoOoOo

"Naruto!" Sakura cried out, as the rookies gasped at their friend's hard impact.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata whimpered, her hands clasped together as if in prayer for her crush.

Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma collectively winced at the force of the impact. Kurenai was the first to make a comment.

"First she used Teppou Dama, then switched easily to Renkudan," she muttered, "Both of those techniques require a good deal of control…yet she used them so quickly."

Taro laughed. "And now you can see her real power," he muttered, causing the group to glare at him. "Reika is a prodigy of the **Hyogi** style of the Uzumaki ryu…but she knows a ninja can't function on taijutsu alone." He ignored the glare sent his way by the boy with the overly-large eyebrows and horrendous hair cut and fashion sense. "Reika has incredible control and stamina, but she doesn't believe in wasting chakra. Sure, she can use powerful techniques like Suiryudan and others…but why use something like that when a properly applied Teppou Dama will do the same job?"

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask. "So, she uses jutsu like Housenka, and Renkudan, hmmm?" he asked.

"It's what earned Reika her nickname in the clan, and in the capital city," the Uzumaki heir answered.

"…Reika no Dangan." (Reika of the Bullet).

oOoOoOo

Reika panted as the dust settled from the force of Naruto's impact. She could almost 'feel' her chakra coils groaning in protest to her constant use of multiple elemental ninjutsu.

Damn, I went overboard with that, she thought as the debris settled, beginning to reveal the cracks on the wall from her 'cousin's' collision, Too think I used up so much chakra on the likes… "NANI!?!" she screeched, as her thoughts were echoed by the people above.

The dust had finally settled…revealing not one, but five Naruto's standing there, a quickly fading plume of white smoke behind the center one. That one wore the same cocksure grin that had made him famous among the Rookie Nine as a total and complete fool.

Now most of them were starting to wonder about that.

oOoOoOo

"Hmmm, clever," Kakashi muttered, his one visible eye curved into the upside down 'u' that signified him smiling, "Quick thinking on the fly…well, that's to be expected from the number one prankster in our village."

Sakura was a bit more vocal in her praise of the blond. "YEAH! GO NARUTO! THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT!" Sasuke, standing next to her meerly smirked, even if he was deeply impressed with his teammate.

Ino was gaping in shock at the site, as were Chouji and Shikamaru. "What…but…how? He should be a pancake right now!?!" Ino was stuttering.

"Shikamaru, just how strong do you think Naruto's become since he learned that jutsu?" Chouji asked, munching on his chips at breakneck (or maybe break 'tooth') speed.

"Strong enough to be mendosuke," Shikamaru replied, sighing as Ino continued to screech. "Man, what a drag."

Kiba was laughing at the scene, while Shino kept his usual stoic façade. Kurenai was smirking, but more at her third charge than at the events below.

Hinata's face was bright red, as was par for the course when dealing with the blond loudmouth. Her fingers constantly pressed together, and she was smiling as the boy dusted himself off with the help of his copies. "Naruto-kun…ganbatte!" she whispered, wishing desperately to have the strength to be as loud as Sakura or Ino.

Neji was intrigued, but hardly impressed, while Tenten and Lee cheered the blond on and their sensei crowed about the 'Power of Youth'. I need coffee, he thought, Coffee and aspirin. In large quantities.

The Suna genin stared at the fight with impassive expressions, even as the one called Gaara felt a…surge…of something that for once he couldn't understand.

Taro was gaping, his face giving him a comical expression that the other jounin sensei's found hilarious.

Kagura was staring at the scene in both shock…and something else she couldn't explain. So, the rumors were true, she thought, He has learned the Kage Bunshin…and he uses it well. She let her eyes seek out the blonds face, and instinctively she focused on his eyes.

Crystal blue…just like her own.

She quashed such thoughts as quickly as they began to surface. She had chosen to follow the clan, and that was what she would do.

And the ice that had encased her heart grew just a touch more…

oOoOoOo

Naruto grinned at Reika's shock. "Man, you gotta love Kage Bunshin no jutsu," he called over to her, shaking her from her stupor, "Makes for a great impact cushion." He rolled his aching shoulders. "Still hurt like a bitch though, I gotta give you that. You are pretty good."

Reika scowled. "I don't need praise from an outcast like you!" she spat, causing the blond to narrow his eyes.

"I wasn't praising you," he replied, settling back into the first stance of the Eigi style, "I was just stating a fact. Still, I was trying to be nice, out of respect for Yuugao-neechan. If you don't want that…"

"I DON'T!" Reika shouted, rushing towards him with a surge of chakra to her legs, enhancing her speed. She leapt up, trying to come down on him with a vicious axe kick…

…only to be intercepted in mid-air with a powerful knee to her stomach.

She howled as the air was forced from her body, stars filling her vision as the blond continued his assault with a mid-air twist and a powerful kick that caught her chin. The blow sent her flying backwards, where two of his clones were waiting. She focused through the pain, twisting to land on her feet…only to have them taken out from under her as one clone dropped into a sweep while the other performed a roundhouse kick that caught her across her chest. "UUAURGHH!" she cried out as she hit the ground.

Naruto dispelled his clones, then surged his chakra so he could leap up. He flipped over, so his feet could anchor to the ceiling.

He took his stance, and waited for the next go round.

oOoOoOo

Kakashi nodded as he watched the blonds moves. "Rough, unrefined, and with a lot of wasted motion," he said, causing the rookies to stare at him, "As expected since he never received proper training in the Eigi branch of the Uzumaki Ryu. He's basically created his own variation of it to compensate."

Gai nodded, remembering a time he had sparred against a member of the Uzumaki main house. "Indeed," he muttered, "You saw how the girl was trying to focus on Naruto's feet…she was hoping to spot the foot work the Eigi style is famed for."

"Foot work?" Kiba asked, "What's that about?"

"It is nothing you need concern yourself with, Inuzuka-san," the blue haired lady answered before the other jounin could explain, "It is a clan secret."

"Mendosuke," Shikamaru muttered.

oOoOoOo

Naruto frowned as he focused his chakra into his foot, his hips and legs tensing for the move he was about to attempt.

If I get this wrong, my leg'll be shattered for sure, he thought, But…I NEED to do this! I have to show them!

Down on the floor Reika was struggling to stand. Her breath was ragged, and her vision was blurry from the heavy blows and lack of oxygen. Still, to her credit, she fought through the pain, and turned her eyes up to spy the boy standing on the ceiling above.

When she saw his stance, she froze. "No…no way…" she whispered, "That stance!"

oOoOoOo

In the balconies above, Taro and Kagura were also shocked, though Kagura hid it far better. "There's no way!" Taro cried, "I didn't even learn that till a I was 10...and I've received instruction from the best!"

Kakashi and Asuma were both frowing at Naruto's position, while Kurenai was confused. "Asuma…what's going on?" she asked, "What are they so concerned about?"

"That stance signifies one of the Uzumaki Ryu's special techniques," Asuma explained, taking a puff from his cigarette, before turning to the genin, "Watch closely, all of you…this is something you'd regret missing."

oOoOoOo

Naruto ignored the comments, as he crouched, then launched himself at the girl below him, crying out as he did so. For a moment, it seemed as if chakra was flickering about his legs, like flame, as he dropped towards his target.

Reika acted on pure instinct as she twisted to the side, trying to avoid the almost sub-sonic blow. She was mostly successful, as the extended leg of her opponent did miss her body…

…her pants, on the other hand, were not so fortunate.

The material shredded from its brief contact with the descending appendage, and the rest was torn asunder from the air pressure change, even as she was launched away from the force of the impact. She spun through the air, and landed hard on her side, exposing her bright red thong, shapely legs, and a curious blue spiral tattoo on her left cheek.

Kiba, Chouji, and Kankuro all flew back from the sudden explosive nosebleeds caused by this event, while the remaining boys save Taro meerly turned away, to avoid the wrath of their kunoichi teammates.

Taro was glowering. "She's embarrassing us," he growled.

When the dust cleared this time, it was clear that Naruto was going to be limping for a while. He was favoring his left leg, as he made his way to the prone girl. He stared for a few moments, as she forced herself back to her feet.

"Give up," he said, forcing her to gape in surprise, "You can't beat me, and I don't want to hurt you. Besides, your clothes may not survive another round."

Reika finally noticed her…wardrobe malfunction, and glowered at the blond. "What, you don't want to embarrass me any more?" she growled, "You embarrass the clan every day you live!"

Naruto's eyes widened at that, even as he growled. He shot forward, burying his right foot in her stomach again, forcing her to cough up some blood this time. He followed through with a twisting spin kick that caught her in the chest, and hurled her towards the eastern wall.

She cried out as she impacted hard against it, slumping down as her body gave out to the pain. Her eyes, tearing up from the agony, widened as the orange clad boy stalked towards her.

She closed her eyes, cringing as a breath of wind rushed over her.

For several long moments, it seemed like nothing was going to happen, so she risked a peak, opening her eyes. She was shocked at what she saw.

A new figure was standing between her and the outcast, acting almost like a shield between her and him. She recognized the blue hair, and the familiar dark blue outfit, and she almost sobbed in relief.

Naruto's eyes were hard, almost like diamond, as he stared at the new kunoichi before him. His fists tightened so much that the nails dug into his palms, drawing a thin trickle of blood.

Blue eyes, just like his own, stared back into his, and a voice he only barely recognized spoke.

"That's enough, otouto," the girl said, "Stop."

oOoOoOo

"Otouto?" the genin in the stands all gasped.

oOoOoOo

"Uzumaki…Kanna," Naruto whispered, his voice coarse and heavy with emotion. His glare didn't let up as he stared at the taller girl. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"It's…been a long time," she muttered, trying to get a feel for what the obviously angry boy would do.

Naruto shrugged. "I wouldn't know," he replied, "I've lived without a family for most of my life, so I don't really have a comparison." He turned to Hayate. "Hayate-sempai…this counts as interference, right?"

The sickly jounin nodded. "Uzuki Reika is cough cough disqualified," he muttered, "Shousha, cough Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto nodded, then unzipped his jacket before tossing it to the half naked girl behind Kanna. Both girls stared at him in shock, and he shrugged. "I like looking at girls just like any other guy," he explained, "But only if the girl wants me to look at her. I ruined her pants, so I'll make up for it." he looked at Reika, who was staring at him in shock…and a small part of gratitude. "Go ahead and keep the jacket. I'm sure I can find another."

With that, he walked back up the stairs.

Kanna watched him go, before helping the shocked Reika to her feet, and leading her from the arena.

And the computer began to cycle names once more…

oOoOoOo

Sarutobi made a motion with his hand, signaling Anko to pause the selection process for the next round. The screen shut down, and the elderly kage took a puff on his pipe.

"I think we could all do with a short break," he announced to the confused participants, "The next round will commence in twenty minutes. Use this short break well." He turned and walked out a side door, Anko and Hayate following behind him.

Naruto winced as his leg gave a spasm, reminding him of the damage he had just inflicted upon himself when he botched the 'Sword' skill. He pulled up the leg of his track suit, frowning at the swelling around his ankle, as well as the ugly looking bruise that was starting to form.

Kakashi noticed the site, and frowned. Hmmm, it seems that even the recuperative powers of the Kyuubi have limits, he thought, Still, if it were any other genin, I'm certain that his leg would have shattered completely from that move.

Standing off to the side and watching as well, Kagura also frowned as she watched her 'son' gingerly rub his wounded leg. While a small part of her was concerned over how the injury was affecting the boy, the part of her that had followed the clan for so long, the part that left him behind, was more concerned with how he had learned a move -on his own no less- that most main house members couldn't learn without extensive help.

Yuugao would not have been able to teach him that, she thought, She would not have been privy to the Eigi techniques as an Uzuki. Ebisu said that he never interacted with the boy until earlier this year…where did you learn that move?

She frowned again, as she saw the small Hyuuga girl walk up to him, holding a small container in her hand.

What is this?

oOoOoOo

Kenosuke stared at the wall of the infirmary, his mind replaying his last match over and over again.

That Suna-nin was right, he thought, as he recalled his own words towards the end, I was foolish…I will not advance with this exam.

The door room opened, and his eyes widened as Kanna led Reika into the room, the latter wearing the outcast's hideous orange jacket around her waste. The garment fell to just above her knees, leaving the rest of her legs bare.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice weakened from the horrible 'cure' the puppeteer had provided.

"I…I fought him," Reika whispered, even as Kanna sat her down in a chair, "He…I…it was…"

"Reika-chan lost, Kenosuke-kun," Kanna interrupted, stopping the shaken girl's stuttering, "My…brother…will advance to the finals."

Kenosuke could hardly believe his ears. "Reika-san…lost?" he parroted, "But…how? How could the outcast defeat her? Not even Taro-san can match Reika in taijutsu!"

The blue haired girl merely shook her head. "He's been practicing since we left him here," she replied, "He performed Eigi Ryu: Sword."

Kenosuke actually gaped at that. "How…could Ebisu-san have…"

"No," Kanna interrupted, "Ebisu was never able to master Sword, let alone Rapier or even Boomerang. No, Naruto…given the roughness of his technique and foot work, it's safe to say that he came up with the technique himself."

Reika was mumbling something, causing the two to stare at her. "Holding…he could…why?" she kept muttering.

"What's wrong with her?" the sword prodigy asked.

Kanna sighed, her blue eyes seeming to darken in thought. "I think she realizes…that my brother was holding back," she replied. At the white haired boy's look, she clarified, "You've heard the reports of him out-witting ANBU and elite jounins before. If he can do that, even when he's only doing it as part of a joke, what do you think he can do when he's serious?"

The kenjutsu specialist nodded, bowing his head. "He…could have killed her."

The pair turned to look at the shaken girl, who now had two tracks of tears running down her cheeks.

"Stay with her, Kenosuke," the blue haired chuunin ordered, "I'll head back to the room and get her a new pair of pants." With that, she stepped out.

Kenosuke frowned as he watched his 'cousin's' tears flow. What…what does this mean for us now? he wondered.

Reika's tears continued to fall.

oOoOoOo

"Ano…Naruto-kun?" the blue haired Hyuuga heiress spoke, causing the blond to look up.

"Hey, Hinata," he grunted, wincing at the spike of pain caused by his sudden shift, "What's up?"

"Ano…I-I want you…to have this!" she mumbled in a rush, thrusting the small brown container towards the kneeling boy.

"Huh?" he muttered intelligently, "What's that, Hinata?"

"It's a medicinal cream," Kurenai replied, "Hinata's very talented at making her own medicines, Naruto. More than once her salves have really helped our team out."

"Really?" he replied, picking up the container tentatively, "Its that good huh?"

"Hell yeah it is, ya dope," Kiba replied, "Me and Akamaru get some nasty cuts and scrapes all the time when training…Hinata's stuff is like a dream."

"Kurenai-sensei…K-Kiba-kun…" the pale eyed girl mumbled, embarrassed by the high praise.

"Wow!" Naruto muttered, opening the lid. He took a brief sniff of the cream contained insided. "Cool, it smells like mint! I like mint!" If it were possible, Hinata would have blushed even harder.

After all, mint was her favorite type of body wash as well…

Naruto applied the cool medicine to his aching ankle, hissing a little at the sudden cold, but sighing happily as it started to sooth the bruised tissues and relieve the pain. Sakura, Hinata, and the other genin watched as the swelling began to visibly go down, and the five jounin sensei's also watched (with more concern in Kagura's case than she would be willing to admit).

"WOW!" Naruto shouted, "This stuff is awesome! It works so fast!" He looked at the blushing Hyuuga girl. "Hinata, your amazing! This stuff rocks!" The poor girl almost swooned at the compliment, even as the other genin watched in surprise at how fast Naruto's injury seemed to heal.

It's too bad Hinata can't really take all the credit for that, Kakashi thought, as Naruto offered some of the cream to Sakura, Sasuke, and the others while extolling Hinata's virtues as an apothecary, While her cream certainly does help, its mostly the influence of the Kyuubi. Though, come to think of it, Arashi-sensei also healed pretty fast too…

The silver haired man's thoughts were interrupted when the Hokage re-entered the arena, Anko and Hayate at his heals. The sickly jounin made a motion towards the screen, and the next round was decided.

oOoOoOo

Taro found the next few matches to be…boring in his opinion.

It had started with a 'cat-fight' between the pink haired girl on the outcasts team and the blond haired banshee near him. He had to force himself not to laugh as he watched their skills down being displayed…or rather, their lack of skills.

In the end, it came down to the outcast shouting encouragement to his teammate, a botched Shintensen from the Yamanaka girl, and a double haymaker knock-out that ended the fight in a draw.

The whole thing took nearly 20 minutes, and the dark haired Uzumaki heir considered them the biggest waste of his life, ever.

The next fight featured the rotund boy from the Yamanaka's team (Akamichi something…) and the girl in the pink tang from the male Hyuuga's team. It ended rather amusingly, as the round boy used his 'meat tank' technique to deflect many of the girls thrown weapons, only to wind up 'pinned' to the wall after he was forced to release the jutsu by the girls used of chakra strings. The girl, Tenten, advanced to the next round.

If the second match was amusing, the fourth…was simply horrifying.

The red haired boy from Suna, the last of their genin to compete, decimated the remaining member of the drop-outs team.

It was all everbody, even the jounins, could do not to throw up when the sands crushed the boy, severing one of his elongated arms from the rest of the body. It flopped on the ground like a wet noodle, twitching for a few moments before finally going still.

The third match was between the boy with the horrendous bowl-cut and green outfit, and the Inuzuka boy. It was actually more intense than anybody had guessed it would be. Even if it ended...oddly.

In the beginning, it seemed as if the bowl-cut would thoroughly own the Inuzuka, as his taijutsu was far above the wild genin's own style. Even the boys use of the Shikakyu no jutsu (Four Legs technique), couldn't seem to even the odds.

When the boy had tossed the puppy a hyrogan (soldier pill), things became interesting. A quick Juujin Bunshin (man-beast clone), and it fast became a two on one match.

It seemed clear that, while the boy, Lee, was a genius at Hand to Hand combat, the wild, yet synchronous motions of the two had him confused. Indeed, the match seemed over when the boy hit him with the famed drilling fang technique of his clan, the Gatsuuga.

Then the green clad genin dropped his weights.

Taro was sure that it had to be some kind of genjutsu. It seemed absolutely impossible that any boy, especially one that -from what he over heard the pink haired girl and the strange man with the giant eyebrows say- couldn't use his chakra properly, to carry such insane amounts of weight!

The match seemed over, yet again, when the boy hit the Inuzuka with the Omote Renge technique, even if it was obvious that he was holding back on the force of the blow. Indeed, it seemd done, but the green clad boy made one mistake.

He forgot about the dog.

A blow from behind by the henged canine partner knocked the boy for a loop, his limbs flailing as he tumbled to the groung. The dog was caught on the side of its head by a flailing arm, also rendering it unconscious.

Yet another draw.

"That...was different," the boy's Hyuuga teammate muttered, getting nods all around. Their sensei, a man with even more obscene eyebrows was sniffling at the unfairness of it all.

"Oh, my precious student! How cruel to your power of youth! We'll just have to DOUBLE your training again!" he cried, a setting sunset appearing behind him.

Taro would have been impressed with the genjutsu...if he wasn't so disturbed by the eyebrows. 

After the horror of the Suna-nin's match, and the sheer action and suspense of the Inuzuka/Bowl-cut match, it was almost a relief to see some humor in the match featuring the remaining Oto-nin and the Nara boy from the Yamanaka team. Taro had to give the Nara credit…having the guy knock himself out by bending over backwards into a wall was genius.

He's someone to watch, Taro thought as the machine began to cycle through names again, He used his head, and planned his move perfectly. That boy is more than he lets on.

"Taro," Kagura spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, sensei?" he asked. When she pointed towards the screen, and he saw the names displayed…he grinned.

Uzumaki Taro vs. Hyuuga Hinata

oOoOoOo

Hinata stared at the screen with some slight apprehension.

She wasn't nervous about fighting the Uzumaki boy. Given his behaviour towards Naruto-kun, as well as his apparent disdain towards the rest of the genin present…she was actually looking forward to putting the jerk in his place.

What she was nervous about…was how Naruto would take it.

It was no secret to the rookies that Naruto wanted to become Hokage. Indeed, if there was a person in the village who didn't know about the blond boy's dream, they were likely a visitor or deaf.

What was a secret, to others at least, was Naruto's other dream. It was one she discovered several years ago. One that became part of the reason she admired him so much.

He dreamed of family.

She had watched Naruto stare after other kids as they were picked up and dropped off from the academy by their parents and siblings, and she had seen the longing in his eyes. The pain, and lonelieness…it echoed her own in a way.

She knew her father loved her, even if he seemed to not care. The Hyuuga clan was very family oriented…it was impossible not to love each and every member, be they main house or branch house. Even Neji, with his resentment towards the main family, loved her and Hanabi…

When she had learned of Naruto's abandonment by his own clan, she had nearly gone into a rage herself.

She had seen the anger in Naruto's eyes as he was confronted by his sister during his bout. While the others had thought that he was apathetic towards her, Hinata (and Neji she was certain) had seen the pain in his beautiful blue eyes.

He wanted his sister back.

She began to make her way towards the stairs leading into the arena, when Naruto spoke up, jarring her from her thoughts.

"Hinata-chan," he spoke, causing her heart to leap just a bit with the 'chan' suffix, "Don't hold back on him."

"Indeed, Hinata-sama," Neji spoke up, shocking her, "The Uzumaki clan and the Hyuuga clan have had some bad blood between them for several generations. He will not hesitate to genuinely harm you…do not give him that chance."

"Neji-nisan…" she whispered.

"I know my destiny," he continued, "I also know yours, Lady Hinata. You may lose this fight, but I know you will still give a good showing. I can sense you have improved…now show us all how much."

Naruto smiled. "Kick his ass, dattebayo!"

Hinata firmed up her resolve, and smiled at her long-time crush. For Naruto-kun, I will be strong! she thought, I will show his clan…that they were fools for leaving him alone.

She decended into the arena.

oOoOoOo

"Eighth match cough cough," Hayate muttered, as the two genin faced off in the ring, "Hyuuga Hinata cough vs. Uzumaki cough cough cough Taro…HAJIME!"

"I don't know what's worse," Taro spoke, glaring at the girl, "The fact the outcast is advancing…or that he has a fan-girl like you."

"Nani?!" Hinata gasped, glaring at the boy.

"Its bad enough he embarrasses the clan by living," he replied, "But that he has the attentions of a _Hyuuga_? Its mind boggling." He set his left leg back, and raised his arms up into the traditional Eigi stance. "I guess I'll just have to…educate you on the facts of life, girl."

Hinata frowned, before sliding into the first form stance of the jyuken taijutsu style her family was famed for. "You abandoned him, leaving him to suffer," she whispered, though her voice carried throughout the arena, "His pain…I have seen it many times, yet he never gives up! He takes on every challenge, and though he stumbles and falls a lot…he always gets back up." Her kekkai genkai, the Byakugan, activated for the first time with her own will power, rather than the traditional seal sequence she was accustomed to using. "You…will lose here, Uzumaki Taro!"

Taro grunted. "If that's the way you want it…" he sighed, before hurling his leg forward, an arc of chakra surging from his outstretched foot, shooting towards the shocked girl. He cried out a word as the chakra surged forward.

"RAPIER!"

Hinata spun on the balls of her feet, just barely avoiding the deadly surged of energy. It snagged a portion of her jacket, tearing it away to reveal the black shirt she wore underneath.

"If I have to beat you by tearing you apart piece by piece, so be it!" Taro shouted, running towards the girl. He began shifting from right to left in a seemingly random pattern…and suddenly he was within Hinata's guard, catching her with a vicious front thrust kick that flashed with chakra as well. "BLADE!" he cried as the girl was hurled backwards with a cry.

"ARGGHH!" she screamed as she landed, sliding back a few feet. She spat some blood from her mouth, turning her gaze to the smirking genin.

"You can't hit what you can't follow, can you, Hyuuga?" he mocked, "The all powerful 'Byakugan'…one of the two prized doujutsu of Konohagakure. I'd always wanted to fight someone with those eyes. Now, here we are and I find myself…disappointed." He frowned at her. "I take it back. You are perfect for the outcast…a weakling for a walking shame. it's a match made by the gods."

Hinata forced herself to her feet, even as she wondered about how to combat Taro's techniques.

"HINATA-CHAN!" came the voice of her crush. Both combatants turned to see Naruto glaring at the dark haired boy, "YOU ARE NOT WEAK! ONLY A REAL WEAKLING NEEDS TO INSULT HIS OPPONENTS!"

"You stay out of this, outcast!" Taro growled out, "I'll settle you later."

"HINATA, WATCH HIS FEET!" Naruto shouted out, "DON'T FOLLOW THE EYES! FOLLOW THE FOOTWORK!"

Hinata's head snapped up as she recalled Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei mentioning something about that. Her Byakugan reactivated, and she turned to her opponent. "I care nothing for your words," she muttered, "Let your skills talk for you…and mine shall do the same!" The last part came out almost like a snarl.

Taro frowned. "Fine then, this next technique will finish you off," he muttered, before lauching forward in the same zig-zag motion as before.

This time, just before he got inside the Hyuuga heiresses guard, he leapt, twisting his body sideways and hooking his left foot behind her neck.

Hinata surged into motion with a quick strike to his leg using jyuken to disable the chakra flow, and another display of her flexibility with a sideways bend, avoiding the scissoring kick that would have likely decapitated her.

With Taro off balance, she struck quickly, disabling his right arm with a two fingered jyuken strike to area just above his elbo. While she couldn't see the tenketsu like her father could, the pressure point charts she studied constantly at home did give her a reference point…and she wanted to use all of that knowledge right now!

"ARRRGHHH!" Taro screamed, as his arm felt like it was enveloped in fire. He laughed his right hand forward, instinctively rotating his chakra in a particular fashion as he cried out a name. "HAKEN!"

A shift in the air pressure between the two blew them apart from each other, further shredding Hinata's jacket, as well as part of her shirt. The ruined jacket fell to the floor, leaving Hinata clad in her black capris and black shirt, which was now torn just below her breasts.

Sakura and Ino grumbled slighty, making noises about being 'ill-equipped', much to Naruto's confusion.

Taro forced himself to his feet, glaring at the girl, who tried to cover herself. "Okay," he grinned, "I see you do have some…skill." He took a moment to leer at the girl. "Obviously the true Hyuuga clan kekkai genkai is in full force with you. Nice…chakra reserves."

Hinata frowned at his innuendos. She had always been shy about her body…even her own sister had never seen her unclothed. It was a privilege she wanted only one person to have.

Taro could still move his hand, so he quickly ran through a seal sequence, ending on ryu. "Lets see how you handle this!" he shouted. "FUUTON: FUURYU NO JUTSU!"

A rush of air, vaguely resembling a dragon, surged forward, striking the shocked girl, hurling her into a wall and shredding her shirt completely, leaving her torso bare. Her capris also developed tears, nearly shredding off her as well.

"You were good to evade my Boomerang," Taro muttered, walking up to the prone girl, and delivering a swift kick to her stomach, "But you're still weak." He placed his foot on top of her left breast, pressing down and causing the broken girl to whimper. "The Hyuuga will always be inferior to the Uzumaki. You would bow to our outcast? That just proves it…"

"ENOUGH!" the sickly jounin Hayate shouted, appearing between the boy and Hinata, separating them. "Shousha, Uzumaki Taro. You won, now back off!"

Kurenai shunshined into the ring, as Naruto, Shino, and Sakura followed. Naruto was already whipping off his black undershirt, using it to cover the groaning Hinata.

"You went too far," he growled as the others helped Hinata to her feet so she could also glare at the boy.

"There is no such thing as 'too far' in combat, outcast," Taro replied, "A ninja fights to win. Kenosuke may not have understood that, but I certainly do."

"Taro, that is enough," Kagura muttered, appearing behind him, "Return to the gangway."

"Hold it, Taro," Naruto growled as the pair turned to walk away. They looked at him, as he bent down, running his hand through some of Hinata's spilt blood. He made a fist, and pointed it at the boy, whose eyebrow had arced up in curiosity. "When we face off…"

"…I am going to BREAK you."

End Chapter 4.

Well? Is this worth ramen points and Catgirls?


	6. The Storm's Sensei

**Chapter 5: The Storm's Sensei**

Kurenai lead the shaken form of Hinata out of the arena, her arms draped protectively around her student. Naruto watched them leave, his demeanor tense as he moved towards the stares.

"Naruto-kun, you may remain down here," Sarutobi called, his own brown eyes glaring at the smug form of Uzumaki Taro, who had merely smirked at the blond jinchuuriki's declaration. "The preliminaries are over, so its time to explain the final test."

Naruto nodded, walking forward as the rest of the remaining genin assembled. Sasuke stood next to him, frowning at his cousin.

"I think I'm beginning to understand why you don't like them, dobe," the Uchiha boy muttered as the Hokage and the three proctors walked forward. Naruto merely grunted in response.

"Now that we have narrowed the field down," Sarutobi spoke up, catching the attention of the 10 remaining Chuunin hopefuls, "Your final exam will be…just like this one." At their confusion, the aged leader smiled. "Simply put, the final exam is a tournament in front of the entire village, as well as the Fire Lord, other visiting dignitaries, as well as the Kazekage and myself." He motioned to Anko, who walked forward carrying a box. "Now, Anko-san will have you draw a number from this box…"

"This will allow us to determine which match you're going to fight in," she smirked, "Sorry, but there's no trading of numbers, and no re-picks. You get what you get."

She stopped in front of Naruto. "Since you seem so eager, gakI," she chuckled, even as he gave her a dark look, "Why don't you draw first?"

The orange clad boy nodded, reaching into the box and shuffling the papers inside around a few times before pulling a slip from the container. Anko nodded, the proceded down the line.

"Hey, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru spoke up, after he had drawn his lot, "You said this is going to be a tournament, right? That means there can only be one winner at the end."

"Correct, Shikamaru-kun," Sarutobi replied.

"Does that mean only one of us can become Chuunin?" he asked.

"Not at cough cough all," Hayate spoke up as Anko finished the number drawing, "We cough gage your potential cough cough throughout the exam. Your performance cough cough cough will determine if you advance."

"Hayate is correct," Sarutobi continued, "Indeed, even those who were eliminated here today could be promoted…and conversely, even those who advance here today could be denied promotion."

The blond Suna-nin Temari frowned. I better get promoted after all this, she thought, My father's plans be buggered, I've EARNED the right!

Sarutobi nodded to Ibiki, who walked forward with a clip board. "Now, kids," he grumbled, "Tell me which number you drew, and I'll show you which match you'll have." His scarred face twisted into a grotesque grin, startling some of the remaining hopefuls.

"I got one," Naruto muttered.

"Four," Sasuke continued.

"Five," Temari grumbled.

"Six," Shino replied.

"Three," Gaara whispered,

"Two," Taro yawned.

"Ten," Kankuro smirked.

"Eight," Shikamaru said.

"Nine," Neji frowned.

"Seven?" Tenten questioned.

Ibiki nodded, jotting the information down on the paper. "Good," he growled out, "Now, here are your matches for the Chuunin Exam Finals." He turned the clip board towards them, showing off the elimination style matches.

Naruto grinned when he saw the arrangement.

Uzumaki Naruto vs. Uzumaki Taro

Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku no Gaara

Sabaku no Temari vs. Aburame Shino

Tenkawa Tenten vs. Nara Shikamaru

Hyuuga Neji vs. Sabaku no Kankuro

Taro right off the bat, huh? the blond boy thought gleefully, I couldn't have asked for more!

"Now, I must inform you that the exam will not be held immediately," Sarutobi spoke, jarring Naruto from his thoughts, "The finals will take place one month from now. As you have seen, much was revealed during this preliminary. While the main purpose of this…break…is to allow the dignitaries time to arrive, it also serves as a time of training and recuperation for you all. Use it wisely."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, nodding, before rushing up to Sakura and Kakashi.

The silver haired jounin sighed. Naruto will need training in order to combat Taro, he thought, But Sasuke's opponent…with the curse mark to contend with, he needs extra attention. He frowned beneath his mask. Damnit, how can I solve this?

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, as her teammates made their way towards them, "Sasuke-kun…and Naruto too…how can we help them?" The masked genin stared at his pink haired pupil. "That Taro guy…he needs to go down. Naruto will need help…but Sasuke-kun's opponent…"

"I know," he replied.

The pink haired girl sighed. The situation didn't seem good.

**oOoOoOo**

Jiraiya smirked as his sensei eased himself into his chair. "Looks like that lumbago is catching up to you, old man," the white haired sage chuckled, "I told you you should get more vitamins in your diet."

Sarutobi gave his former pupil a withering look. "Now is not the time for your 'advice', Jiraiya," he gritted, "We both know why I called you here."

"I heard about the Uchiha boy's mark from Anko," the sannin replied, "A double layered containment seal should be enough to contain it. If the boy could get back up after such a severe trauma, he's got some strength of will."

"Strength of will, or desire for revenge?" Sarutobi replied, "His desire to be strong for himself is guided mostly because of what Itachi did. Power is what he wants…and people will often sacrifice that they would least want to for lesser things."

The toad sage frowned. "I don't think another seal will really help at this point," he answered, "The best that can be done is to give him the training needed to match Itachi. While I wouldn't normally recommend it, ANBU training would do the trick."

Sarutobi frowned. "I'd prefer to avoid that option," he muttered, "I won't have another child, even if he or she is a full fledged ninja, go through that hellish training ever again. Danzo can gripe all he wants…I won't turn children into weapons."

A chuunin stuck his head in the door, getting the occupents attention. "Hokage-sama," he greeted, "Jiraiya-sama. Hatake-san and his genin team are here to speak with you."

Sarutobi smiled. "Well, I think I may have another task for you then, Jiraiya," he chuckled, "Send them in, Izuru."

The chuunin nodded, and the quartet of team seven entered the room.

"Oi, jiji! We gotta talk!" Naruto called out, earning a bop on the head from Sakura.

"Naruto! Show him respect!" she growled.

Heh heh, jiji, I love it! her inner-self chuckled.

"Maa, maa, calm down you two," the cycloptic jounin muttered, waving his hands. "We came here for a reason."

"Hmmph," Sasuke grunted, mildly amused by his teammates actions.

"I'm gussing it has to do with the match-ups," the Hokage questioned. At the trio's nod, he sighed. "The matches can't be changed, unfortunately."

"I don't want them changed!" Naruto growled out, "I want Taro! He needs to pay for what he did to Hinata!"

Sakura nodded, her face set into a scowl. "What he did was insulting to all kunoichi," she spoke up, "It took all Ino and I had not to castrate him right then and there!"

Sasuke frowned. "What was his problem, anyway?" he muttered, "He went after Hinata like it was a personal grudge or something."

Strangely enough, it was Jiraiya who replied. "In a way it was," he said, "The Uzumaki clan and the Hyuuga clan have been enemies for generations." The white haired sage turned to Naruto. "I'm surprised you have a problem with it, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto growled. "And why's that, ugly?" he replied.

Jiraiya was about to respond when Sarutobi interrupted. "Jiraiya, you don't know, do you?" he asked.

Naruto shot a glare at the white haired ninja, while said nin turned to the seated kage. "Know what, sensei?" he asked, "He should know about the grudge. Kagura would have taught him all about it."

Everyone stiffened as a surge in killer intent filled the room. Jiraiya shot a glance at the blond, frowning as he saw the boy struggling with his chakra.

"Naruto, calm down," Kakashi muttered, putting a comforting hand on the blond's shoulder.

Sakura glared at the white haired man. "You're Jiraiya of the Densetsu no Sannin, aren't you?" she asked. At the man's nod, she continued, "Shouldn't you know almost everything that goes on in this village? You must have heard about Naruto being left behind eight years ago!"

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. "What…did you say, young lady?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"They abandoned me," Naruto spoke up, even as Kakashi and Sasuke both tried to calm him down, "The entire clan took off to the capital, leaving me here to rot. I'm basically a ronin…I don't have a clan."

Jiraiya felt his heart break a small bit at the bitter acceptance in the boy's tone. At the same time, he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the idea that Kagura would abandon her child.

He turned a glare to Sarutobi. "Why wasn't I told, old man?" he muttered.

"You are still technically a member of the Uzuki branch of the Uzumaki clan, Jiraiya," Sarutobi replied, "I can't bypass clan laws, and the laws state that only the Uzumaki can inform the Uzuki of such news. My powers as Hokage, despite being the military leader of our country, do not extend into the civilian realm. If they did, I would have abolished the Caged Bird seal on the branch house of the Hyuuga."

The toad sannin frowned again, before turning to Kakashi. I needed to see the boy anyway, he thought, Maybe this will work out after all. "Kakashi, what did you come here for to start with, anyway?" he asked.

"We know something is off about Sabaku no Gaara," he replied, "Sasuke need's special training to properly handle this match…but I don't want to abandon my other two students. Sakura might not be going into the finals, but she needs training nevertheless, and Naruto is going up against Uzumaki Taro."

Jiraiya smirked. "That arrogant little twerp?" he muttered.

"He may be arrogant, but he has the skills to back them up," Sakura growled, "Those moves he used…"

"Uzumaki Ryu Kossapo," Jiraiya muttered, "Its traditionally split into two branches; Hyogi, or open skills, and Eigi, or shadow skills. It was developed a few generations back to combat the Hyuuga jyuken…they were pissed when we basically made one of their techniques our own."

Sasuke grunted. "That 'haken' punch," he muttered, "He used it to counter Hinata-san's offensive…and to rip her clothes off."

Jiraiya frowned. "What did he do?"

Naruto growled. "He insulted her, shredded her clothes," he replied, "Then, after kicking her while she was down…he put his foot on her chest."

Jiraiya spat on the floor. "That punk," he said, the anger in his voice obvious, "For a clan heir, he certainly doesn't get the political hornets nest he just stirred up." He shook his head. "Anyway, back to the what you needed, Kakashi."

"Hmmm?" the jounin grunted.

"For your kunoichi here? Huh, send her to Anko or Yuugao-chan," the sannin ordered, "Better yet, both. Yuugao for genjutsu and taijutsu, and Anko for weapons and 'special' training."

Sakura did not like the sound of 'special training'. She especially didn't like the idea of her trainer being a woman who scared even NARUTO.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, don't worry," Naruto smiled, "Even if that creepy examiner lady is there, Yuugao-neechan is really cool! You'll get super strong with her!"

That was enough to firm the pink haired girls resolve. "Okay," she replied.

Kakashi smiled. Hmm, maybe Anko-chan can teach her about those 'special' poisons she has, he thought, barely keeping the giggle inside.

"Now, Kakashi," Jiraiya continued, "What were you planning on teaching the Uchiha here?"

Sasuke did not like being discussed like he was an object.

"Well, speed for sure," Kakashi replied, "His Sharingan needs some fine-tuning as well. As for how to beat that Gaara kid? Well…there's probably only one way."

Jiraiya frowned. "The Chidori?" At Kakashi's nod, he sighed, then turned to Sasuke. "Alright punk," he grumbled, while Sasuke growled at the insult, "Listen up. Kakashi is going to teach you a jutsu that by all rights NO genin should EVER LEARN. Its powerful, and given what my old teammate put on your neck…exactly the kind of thing he'd want you to learn."

Sasuke's arm shot up to his shoulder.

"Yeah, Orochimaru would love for you to learn that," the sannin continued, "So listen up. Even if you learn that jutsu, you won't be a match for Itachi."

Who's Itachi? Sakura and Naruto both wondered, while Sasuke growled.

"You need a few more years before you can hope to match him," the sage went on, "Especially if the rumors I've been hearing are true…but that's for another time."

Naruto was hopping up and down, partially in anger and partially in nervousness. "So what about me, then?" he asked, "I need training too!"

"That's were I'll come in," the white haired man grinned, "Uzuki Jiraiya, member of the Sannin, and your new sensei."

**oOoOoOo**

If there was one place that Hinata could honestly say she hated, it was this room.

If there was one group of people she could honestly hate…it would be this group.

The Hyuuga council of elders stared at her from their raised dais in the central hall of the clan complex. The group of five - four main house members and one branch - looked at her with impassive eyes.

Hinata knew what they truly thought though…

"Explain to us, please, Hinata-sama," the branch house member, Ikaru, muttered, "Why was it that you lost to the Uzumaki heir?"

Hinata barely kept her face neutral at the callous question. Though the medical corps had treated the bruise, she could still feel the phantom ache in her breast. It was one thing to be humiliated by having her clothes destroyed in public, the academy courses on kunoichi combat had somewhat prepared her for it, even if it was a jarring experience.

Having had his foot pressing down on her was both painful…and degrading.

"I c-can offer no exscuse, Ikaru-san," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the floor. Off to the side of the room, her sister Hanabi stood with her father. Hinata wondered if her sibling understood just how angry the elders were, and if she was enjoying the thought of her elder sister getting punished.

"There is hardly a need for excuses, Ikaru-san," the only woman on in the group spoke, "I read the report from her jounin sensei, and it appears that the boy simply had her beat on taijutsu. We all know what the Uzumaki Ryu is capable of."

"Be that as it may, Shiori-sama," Ikaru replied, "Hinata-sama is the clan heiress. How can the village respect us if our own heiress is stripped and beaten by another clan heir? How could the Fire Lord respect us?"

Hyuuga Shiori was a hardened woman. She had been a part of Sarutobi's genin class, and was hailed, in her prime, as a taijutsu mistress of supreme caliber, as well as possessing a level of chakra controll that most medic nins would kill for. It was said that she even tutored the sannin Tsunade on both control and taijutsu.

The elderly woman had seen much, and she had played the political game longer than most. She knew exactly what Ikaru was trying to do.

"I think that we could turn this to our advantage," she replied, "While the Uzumaki are the 'body-guards' for the Daimyo, they have to show a certain level of…decorum. Even to their enemies."

Hinata frowned as she listened to the woman's words. She wants something, the blue haired girl wondered, But what?

"Uzumaki Taro's actions show a remarkable lack of maturity," she continued, "While his skills are likely without question, his choice to embarrass Hinata-chan here has given us a chance to make them all pay."

"I'm curious as to how that could be accomplished, Shiori-san," another of the elders asked.

"Hinata-chan, do you recall the technique used by the Uzumaki boy when he shredded your jacket?" the white haired woman asked.

"Y-yes, Shiori-sama," she muttered, "It s-seemed l-like an or-ordinary punch, but…"

"It acted like a vacuum, first pulling forward, then shoving you away," her father spoke up, finally walking forward. Her sister followed, and the pair knelt next too her, both touching their heads to the floor.

"Y-yes, that is correct," she stuttered, surprised that he would actually speak to her in such a setting.

"The 'Haken' technique," Ikaru spat, shocking the two children with his vulgar display, "A blatant thumb to our eyes."

"Ikaru-sama?" Hinata asked.

"The 'Haken' is a…copy, in a sense, of one of our style's more advanced techniques," another elder spoke, "The original technique, the Hakke Kusho, is still considered to be the more elegant version, but the Uzumaki clan has it beaten in raw power."

"Hinata-chan, how did you feel about the Uzumaki boy's words?" Shiori continued, "You are a member of the strongest clan in Konoha…did his words strike you? Did they burn in your ears?"

Hinata frowned, then raised her head to gaze directly into the matron's eyes. "I…I hated them," she whispered, "I…I have…always t-tried to see the good in people." Her thoughts drifted to Naruto, how he had given up his jacket to cover the Uzuki girl's body, and how he had given his own shirt to cover her embarrassment. "I…saw no goodness in Uzumaki Taro. He…he is a monster."

Ikaru nodded. "Like his whole clan, an arrogant waste of…"

"You are wrong, Ikaru-sama," Hinata interrupted.

If anyone was more startled at the shy girl's interruption, it would have been her own father. Hinata… he wondered, inwardly gaping at the girl, while his face remained neutral.

"…Wrong?" Ikaru stuttered, "What do you mean, Hinata-sama? You yourself said that the other members of his team were arrogant and malicious…"

"I was not talking about them either, Ikaru-sama," the girl interrupted _again_, this time earning obvious looks of surprise from the elders.

Big sister is different now, was the only thought the young Hanabi could materialize.

"If not them, then whom were you speaking of, Hinata-chan?" Shiori asked. She already had a fairly good idea, and she found herself liking the possibilities it presented.

"Uzumaki…Naruto," she small girl replied.

"That little…!" Ikaru stuttered, only to stop himself as Shiori's hand appeared near his heart, a faint blue glow of chakra outlining her finger tips.

"Keep your tone, Ikaru-kun," the elderly woman muttered, "And remember the law."

Hinata snapped her eyes to the old woman. **Law…what law?** she wondered. It was not the first time she had heard of something regarding a 'law' around Naruto, and now it seemed VERY important.

"He has always been kind," she replied, "I…have watched him for a long time. H-he…has suffered, but he n-never gives up." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves again. Talking to the elders like this was…exhausting, for some reason. "His…pr-pranks are not malicious, and h-he's very hard working."

Hiashi found himself nodding. While he had never had any true personal contact with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, he had seen the boy practicing on his own many times.

The boy was a ruffian, and his skills were questionable at best, completely ridiculous at worst - but his drive to succeed had no equal.

The Hyuuga leader actually admired that in the boy. And now I see, he thought, staring at his eldest child, That is something you admire in him too, isn't it Hinata?

"For the longest time…I wanted to be like him," the girl kept on, shocking the male elders and her sister, while Shiori and Hiashi looked on. "H-he has…strength, not just of the body…but of the heart. He s-stumbles, and he falls…but he always gets up again."

"Big sister…" Hanabi whispered, staring at the girl with something akin to…awe.

"Now…I see that he has done all this, even though his clan abandoned him!" Hinata actually growled at this, earning a small squeak from Hanabi. "We are…a divided house, because of that horrible mark that rests on your brow, Ikaru-sama."

The Branch Elder frowned, his hand instinctively moving to his covered forehead.

"But no matter what…we do not abandon our own," Hinata continued, "We may not act like it…but I KNOW that we all love each member of this clan! We all want to be a real family again!"

Shiori saw the unshed tears in the girls eyes. **You just may be the one,** she thought, **I wonder if you could handle the training…**

"I miss Neji-nisan," the girl muttered, "I want my brother back! I don't want to be a weakling anymore! I want…"

"You want Uzumaki Naruto," Shiori interrupted, shocking everyone and earning a squeak and a flushed face from the clan heiress. The old woman smiled. "I too have seen him in the streets, Hinata-chan. I can't say as I understand the…attraction," she grinned as the girl squeaked again, "But I can see that he has inspired you."

Hiashi looked at his daughter. "You would have gone to seek training, but not from us, wouldn't have you?" he asked, "You were afraid we would toss you aside."

Hinata's lips trembled, and she turned a hot gaze to her father. "But you did toss me aside!" she whispered, her voice too choked up to shout, "I was there! I heard what you said to Kurenai-sensei!"

Hiashi frowned. He had been frustrated that day, after a rather disappointing sparing session between his two daughters. **What did I do to you, Hinata?** he wondered.

"I know I'm not very good at jyuken," the small girl continued, firming her voice and holding back the tears, "Neji-nisan is far better than I will ever be, and Hanabi-chan has the potential to surpass him." Everyone was shocked at her open admittance of her shortcoming, and her sister frowned.

"But you never fight me seriously, big sister!" the seven year old spoke up.

Hinata bowed her head. "I can't," she replied.

Hiashi frowned. "Why not, Hinata?" he asked, the elders all wondering the same thing. "You have the potential to become good in the style, yet you refuse to use it against an opponent?"

"I do not hesitate against enemies," Hinata replied, "But against her?" She pointed at the darker haired girl. "Tell me you don't see it, father. Tell me you can't see her face!"

Shiori nodded. "The resemblance," she muttered.

If it were possible for white eyes to light up in understanding, Hiashi's would have glowed like the sun at that moment.

"Resam-blunce?" Hanabi asked, earning a quiet chuckle from two of the elders.

**How cute,** Shiori grinned.

"I see," Hiashi muttered, "You won't fight her…because of how much she looks like Shikuko."

Hanabi looked over as Hinata nodded. Her sister looked at her, and said something she'd never forget.

"I couldn't possibly hurt you, Hanabi-chan," she said, "You look so much like our mother…it just doesn't feel right."

The smaller Hyuuga girl had never known her mother; Hinata's birth had been difficult, and Hanabi's had been fatal. She had desperately wanted to know the woman who had brought her into the world, but no one would speak to her.

"I…look like momma?" she whispered.

"Very much so," Hiashi spoke, "Your mother had the same hair as Hinata, but face wise? You are the exacting image of her."

Hanabi felt tears brewing in her eyes, and she tried to keep them at bay. She was denied the chance, however, when Hinata wrapped her arms around her.

"Hinata-chan is right," Shiori muttered, as the two girls comforted each other, "For too long this clan has been torn in two. We lost Hizashi because of this mess. I lost my daughter to the seal. We need to change."

"How?" Ikaru asked.

"We start with Hinata," she replied, "And we finish…with Uzumaki Naruto."

The other three elders nodded, and the older woman stood up. "Hyuuga Hinata," she spoke, getting the sniffling girl's attention, "I am personally going to train you for the next few weeks. You are going to become strong…strong enough to even win Naruto-san's attention."

"Sh-Shiori-sama…" Hinata stuttered.

"And the first thing we're going to do," the Hyuuga matron frowned, "Is get rid of that damn stutter."

**oOoOoOo**

She wasn't sure what he wanted to speak with her about, but Kin knew better than not to answer -even in the hospital- when Orochimaru called her.

It was a complex jutsu, but one at all shinobi of Otogakure were required to learn. Her hands moved quickly into the seal sequence, her chakra flowing as the seals moulded it.

Inu, saru, ryu, tori, hebi, tora, hebi. "Ninpou: **Enkaku Oto, Hitoshirezu Dengon**." (1)

The jutsu worked two ways; it muted all sound around and from the user, attuning the person's voice to another's chakra signature, while at the same time, it attuned the users ears to the other person's voice, amplifying their sensitivity so the other voice could be heard even over great distance.

It was an excellent spying technique…and an horrible torture technique as well.

"_Kin-chan…I am disappointed in your team's performance,_" the cool voice of her 'leader' echoed throughout her ears, "_I was expecting the Uzumaki team to be…far more dirtied than they were. It looked almost as if you didn't…even…try."_

"_My apologies, Orochimaru-sama,_" she whispered, "_We did confront them, but decided it was best to not go too far. I felt that, as the other one…_"

"_I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE OTHER ONE!_" the voice roared, causing the girl to cringe in pain. Her hands instinctively covered her ears in a vain attempt to block the voice. "_The point is that you were to gauge their abilities, yet I received no report! Why did you not report on the groups skills?_"

"_My lord, we didn't really _see_ much of their skills,_" she whispered back, trying to keep the whimper of pain from entering her voice. "_We only really learned of the sword wielders blade, not his 'dances'_ _or anything else. The Uzuki girl…_"

"_The Uzuki do not concern me, Kin!_" the snake sannin hissed, "_I know all about them, and they are not worth my attention, not even my old 'teammate' Jiraiya. I have progressed further than anyone can realize._"

"_Orochimaru-sama, I can beat them!_" she whispered, "_I admit, I was uprepared for that Suna kunoichi, but the Uzumaki heir I can match! I could have beat that Suna girl as well, if I hadn't miscalculated the force of her fuuton…"_

"_Excuses, Kin,_" he replied, a low hiss through the jutsu causing her to shiver in fear, "_Zaku, Dosu, Yoroi, and Musumi have served their purposes. You might yet be useful…_"

"_My lord?_" she asked, "_W-what would you have…_"

"_Prove your worth to me, Kin,_" he muttered, a dark tone to his voice, "_Find the one called Naruto…and eliminate him._"

"…_why my lord? Is he truly…" _she started to ask, only to cry out as a loud roar filled her ears, her head pounding from the intense agony.

"_BECAUSE I ORDER IT, YOU FOOLISH GIRL!_" he hissed, "_Complete this assignment, and you will be rewarded greatly…I might even give you personal training enough to join Tayuya-chan and Karin-chan as members of my elite. Fail, however…and I'll teach you such exquisite ways of _pain_ that you will beg for death!"_

The dark haired girl shivered in fear at the thought. Orochimaru required all his ninja to watch interrogations…she had been sick for days after her turn had come.

The man was a sick, twisted, and sadistic genius…and he was creative at causing pain.

"_I…will obey, Orochimaru-sama,_" she whispered.

"_Do not fail, Kin-chan,_" the final whisper came, taunting her with its mocking sense of affection. She broke the jutsu, just as a nurse walked into the room.

"You're free to go, Tsuchi-san," she muttered, "Your back is going to be tender for another day or so, but otherwise you're in perfect health."

"Thank you," the dark haired girl replied, shrugging off the hospital gown and reaching for her camouflaged cargo pants, slipping them over her lithe legs and cinching the belt around her waste. She adjusted her black panties slightly from the outside of her pants, before reaching for her bandage role and beginning the process of binding her chest. She wasn't as…stacked…as Karin or Tayuya, but she had slightly more than a handful, and she was quite content with it. In actuality she honestly thought her legs were her best feature, even if her choice of clothing tended to hide them from view.

After her chest was bound, she donned her grey tank top and yellow scarf. A simple white ribbon kept her hair tied back, black shinobi style sandals covered her feat, and her hitai-ate wrapped around her head to complete the look. She spared a brief glance in the mirror of the bathroom she had.

She'd consider herself beautiful…if not for the redness in her eyes.

**Even if he's not like the rest of them,** she thought, firming her resolve with a deep breath, **He's still…an Uzumaki!**

She walked out of the room.

**oOoOoOo**

"Now then, Hinata-chan," Shiori grinned at the young kunoichi, "I'm going to be very frank with you. It might seem like I'm insulting you, but what I have to say needs to be said."

"Ano, I-I am prepared, Shiori-sama," the blue haired girl replied, cursing herself for stuttering yet again.

"As far as the jyuken goes…you're pathetic at the style," the elder replied, "You've got the grace and flexibility for it, there's no question. The problem isn't even your byakugan…its your attitude. You lack the 'cold fire' we Hyuuga pride ourselves on."

"Ano, 'cold fire' Shiroi-sama?" the small girl asked, "What is that?"

"Our eyes let us 'see' many things, Hinata," the elder replied, leaning on her cane, "We can read our opponents emotions by watching their physical reactions. We can read our opponents thoughts by watching how their eyes shift. We can even direct an opponents emotions somewhat by focusing our gaze at them…the intimidation factor of the byakugan is matched only by the sharingan."

"I still don't understand," Hinata replied, "I know I've felt…intimidated…whenever father uses his byakugan on me, but what does…"

"I'm getting to that, young one," the elder replied, "Surely you've seen evidence at just how…dispassionate…certain members of the clan are, compared to others." At Hinata's nod, she continued, "You probably didn't notice, however, how these members are the most exceptional students of jyuken."

Hinata gaped at that, then thought back to how Neji was whenever he was practicing his forms. She had always noted that he seemed…distant, when practicing, but now she realized that he was acting truly unemotional.

"I see you're beginning to grasp the concept," Shiori grinned as Hinata's eyes widened in understanding, "Jyuken is a cold taijutsu style. It's all about separating oneself from emotion, and using that clarity to strike out at the opponent's weakness. Those who can achieve this clarity can perform any jyuken technique, from the Kaiten to the Hakke Rokujuu Yonsho."

"But, I can't because…" Hinata muttered, realizing the truth Shiori was trying to impart.

"You achieve the very opposite of that clarity, Hinata-chan," the white haired woman replied, "You sympathize with your opponents emotions, and you understand them. Indeed, this can be a very powerful weapon in of itself, but for jyuken its more of a burden."

"Does that mean that I'll never achieve the Kaiten, or any of the other techniques?" she asked.

Shiori sighed. "The Kaiten is more about chakra control than the others, so I don't think its out of your reach," she replied, "But the Rokujuu Yonsho, and the advanced forms? Its unlikely." At the girl's downcast look, she grinned. "Cheer up, young one. There is something else I can teach you…something that if you can truly master it, might even allow you to surpass the jyuken, and the Uzumaki Ryu combined for sheer destructive force."

Hinata gaped at the thought. Her mind instantly flowed back to her fight with Taro. She still had phantom pains from his 'Blade' technique.

"Like all Hyuuga, you're a close range fighter Hinata-chan," Shiori went on, "Teaching you long and mid range jutsu is only a small part of what you're going to learn." She motioned to a pile of rocks that sat slightly behind her.

"Ano, what are the rocks for, Shiori-sama?" the young heiress asked.

"These rocks will be the focusing point of your training, Hinata-chan," the white haired elder explained, picking up one of the stones and tossing it to the girl. "I want you to pulverize that stone."

Hinata recalled the lessons on brick breaking, and how it had been one lesson in taijutsu that she had been surprisingly good at. "Okay," she whispered, focusing her strength, and smashing her fist against the stone, shattering it.

"That's very good…for brick breaking," the elder yawned, "But I said 'pulverize', not break."

"B-but…" the girl started.

"Stop that stuttering!" Shiori snapped, causing the girl to clam up, "One of the benefits of the training I'm going to put you through is definitely going to be the confidence you need to get over that." The elder picked up another stone, holding it in her right hand. "Look at the pieces of your stone, Hinata."

The girl did as she was told, and looked at the chunks of rock that now lay scattered at her feet. "What should I be seeing, Shiori-sama?" she asked.

"It's not what you should be seeing, Hinata-chan," the old woman replied, "Its what you should _not_ be seeing." She pointed to one of the larger chunks of rock. "When you pulverize something, there should be nothing of it left. When you leave something behind, you risk exposing not only yourself, but your comrades and others. A shinobi must be like the wind…it blows through a field, but you can never tell it was there."

"Shiori-sama, how can I…pulverize…a stone?" the young girl asked, "No matter how I strike it, it will only break into pieces."

"Ah, and therein lies the secret to this technique," Shiori grinned. "I taught this technique to Tsunade-hime back when she was still a genin…Kami-sama, now that girl had talent! She picked up the concept right off the bat, and she even managed to improve it with her incredible chakra control!"

"I'm…learning a technique…that Tsuande-sama knows?" Hinata asked, feeling herself grow a bit lightheaded at the concept. Tsunade's skills, both in taijutsu and in medical ninjutsu, were benchmarks for kunoichi of all nations.

"Learning it? I'm hoping you'll _improve_ it," the elder chuckled at the small girls gaping look. "Now, you know about resistance, right?" At the girl's nod, she continued. "Everything has a natural resistance to everything else in the world. When you strike something, you lose a certain amount of force breaking that resistance."

"Even in jyuken?" the girl asked.

"Especially in jyuken," Shiori replied, "Not only do we lose some of the physical force in our blows, but we lose some of the chakra force we inject when it encounters the opposing energy."

"I think I understand, Shiori-sama," Hinata replied, "But if the resistance is natural, how can we pulverize anything that has it?"

"By not losing any of the force," the old woman replied, suddenly striking the stone…

…and turning it into powder.

Hinata gasped. "H-how!?!"

"The key to this technique is speed, Hinata-chan," Shiori replied, "It was developed by monks in ancient times, and passed down through generations until it was given to our clan."

"What is it called, Shiori-sama?" the girl asked, breathless at the idea.

"This is the technique that Tsunade-hime knows, and even improved. It's the technique that you, I hope, will take ever further. It's called Futai no Kiwami." (2)

**oOoOoOo**

Kin growled as she walked the streets. **How can it be so hard to find someone wearing neon-orange!?!** she mentally screamed.

She'd been out hunting for the strange blond for a few hours now, desperately seeking to fulfill Orochimaru's order before his next contact. She had a feeling she wouldn't survive it.

Her head still ached from the roaring voice of her 'leader' over the jutsu. She winced as she realized that Dosu, Zaku, and Yoroi were likely getting the same treatment. Misumi, at least, had it easy being dead.

She moved towards one of the nearby training grounds, one that had a large lake and river running through it. She needed to vent some steam, and a few doton jutsu on some trees would be just the ticket.

She walked through the brush, and froze as she heard a voice.

"**GOGYOU FUIN KAI!**" a loud male voice cried out, deep enough to identify itself as a full grown adult.

"ARRGHHH!" a younger voice came, the pain in the voice causing the dark haired kunoichi to wince.

**A seal release?** she thought, **On a person? That can not have been fun.**

"There now, that should make things a little easier," the older voice started up again, "Heh, Orochimaru always was sloppy with fuin jutsu. You wouldn't think it, given his handwriting was even better than Nidaime-sama's…and that guy was a calligraphy master."

"THAT HURT, ERO-SENNIN!" the younger voice cried out, and Kin felt her breath hitch.

**Its HIM!** she realized, instinctively reaching for her senbon and bells. She inched forward, peeking thorough the brush until she could see the talking duo.

There was a tall, oddly dressed man with a huge main of white, spiky hair standing by the river's edge, a large scroll slung across his back. His outfit was primarily grey, with a red vest and belt, and tan wooden geta sandles adorning his feet.

The other one was far shorter, and was currently only wearing his hitai-ate, and pair of blue swim-trunks with orange frogs. His blond hair was wet, and water was running down his scowling face over the strange whisker marks he had. His blue eyes glinted in the afternoon light.

**He's…kinda…cute,** the girl thought.

Then she saw a strange black mark on his stomach.

It looked like a seal, with a strange spiral mark in the center, surrounded by symbols stretching out along the plane of his skin. It was very complex, and she wondered if even Orochimaru would know what it was.

"You could be able to mould your chakra much more easily now," the older man was saying, "Try the water walking exercise again."

"This had better work, ero-sennin," the blond growled, before walking out on the water. Kin frowned as he did it easily.

**That's a pretty high level exercise,** she noted, **He's not going to be an easy opponent.**

"Hey! It works! Awesome!"

**…or he might just be too stupid to BE an opponent,** she thought again, sweat-dropping as the boy began dancing and leaping about the river's surface.

"Naruto, that's enough for now!" the older man called, "We have a lot of work to do, and only a month to get it all done."

"Okay!" the boy replied, leaping back to shore.

"Now, we're going to outline your training," the old man said, "It's going to be two fold…but first, lets deal with our guest."

A kunai came hurling towards her, and she leapt out of the brush to avoid it, landing a few yards from the scowling duo.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, "You're that girl from the prelims! The one with the sister who was…"

"Raped and mutilated by your clan!" Kin growled, "My elder sister, the only one who protected me and Himitsu…Tsuchi Seikei!"

"During the war with Iwa, am I right?" the older man asked, "I think I know the group of idiots you're talking about."

"So its true?" Naruto asked. Kin frowned as she noticed him bow his head like he was ashamed.

The older man sighed. "Unfortunately, it probably is," he muttered, "War is a terrible thing, Naruto. People get hurt, and innocents always get caught in the crossfire. Iwa-nins raped and tortured our ninjas, and while Sarutobi-sensei, Yondaime-sama, and others tried to prevent it, Iwa women were raped and tortured as well."

"That's horrible," the boy muttered.

The old man nodded. "You'll likely have to torture people sometimes too kid," he went on, "As a ninja, information is key to survival. If an enemy has information you need, sometimes you'll have to do things you'll hate to get the info out. Even Yondaime-sama had to torture people sometimes. I can tell ya, he died a little bit each time he was forced to do so…especially when it was a woman. Yondaime believed women should be revered, not harmed."

Kin growled. "I hate your Yondaime!" she spat, "He took my father from me, but I can understand why he did…but the Uzumaki clan will pay for Seikei's life!"

Naruto frowned. "Don't associate me with them!" he snapped back, "I was abandoned by them when I was four years old! I want nothing to do with them!"

"You use their style, don't you?" she asked, "That Eigi style is what took her life! I swore I'd find a way to crush it, and I'll start with you!"

"I don't even know it really!" the blond shouted back, "I know some theory to it, but anything I create is my own! It doesn't belong to the Uzumaki! I'm nothing like them!"

"Prove it!" Kin growled, raising her senbon to her face, "Fight me! Prove to me you're really different!"

"You're on!" Naruto replied, flipping back to his pile of clothing, grabbing his weapons pouches and strapping them to his thighs. He settled down into a loose Eigi ready stance.

The pair stood silent for a few moments, then rushed forward.

The battle began…

**oOoOoOo**

When she thought hard about it, Sakura realized that Kakashi was doing her a favor by getting her this 'advanced' training. She'd taken the time to read up about the tokubetsu jonin Anko, and she had to admit she was impressed with the mission record. After all, how many jonins did she know who had completed over 40 A rank missions? Especially at the age of 24.

The other girl, Yuugao, was no less impressive in that department. Much of her file was classified (due to ANBU regulations, she was sure), but 27 A ranks was still impressive for a 20 year old.

Yes, when she thought about it, she was grateful to her sensei for getting her these trainers.

…of course, it was hard to think about it while trying to dodge a hail of kunai from the trench coat and fishnet clad crazy woman.

"Pay attention!" Anko snapped as she unleashed another barrage of deadly metal from the sleeves of her coat. Sakura backflipped away from the blades, trying (and failing more often than not) to deflect some with the kunai held in her right hand. A few more cuts appeared on her pale skin as the blades moved across her form.

"Don't try to block so many, Sakura-san," the purple haired ANBU called out, "A ninja does what is needed to win the battle, not what is needed to make a good show."

"I'm…trying…sem…pai," the pink tressed girl panted, her hair -now in a tight pony tail- bouncing with each breath.

"Eh, the girl's got some serious physical issues," Anko chuckled, pulling a dango skewer from her pouch and munching on the sweet dumplings, "I keep telling Iruka he needs to step up that physical training course."

"I believe he's being over-ruled on that by Suzume-san," Yuugao chuckled, "The woman would put all kunoichi hopefuls through courtesan training above physical conditioning if she could get away with it."

Sakura blushed at the thought of courtesan training. **I wonder if Sasuke-kun…**

"Get your mind out of the gutter, pinky," Anko snapped, shaking the girl from her reverie. "Kakashi sent you here to get fit and learn, not to drool over the two future stud-muffins on your team."

"Wha…?!" Sakura gaped, "I do not see Naruto as a 'stud-muffin'!"

"Too bad, the kid's got real potential," the elder woman replied, "I kinda like those blue eyes of his…much more expressive than the rest of his clan."

"He would not like you referring to it as 'his' clan, Anko-sempai," Yuugao replied, "I don't particularly care to be associated with them either."

"Yeah, I get all that, Yuugao," the brown eyed woman responded, "Still, it 'is' still technically his clan. He may have been left behind, but he hasn't been taken of the register yet, has he?"

Yuugao frowned. "No, he hasn't," she admitted, "Though I soon will be."

Anko grinned. "So, cough-boy finally popped the Q, huh?"

Sakura glanced at the purple haired woman, who was now blushing slightly. "Cough-boy…you mean that proctor from the prelims…Hayate, wasn't it?"

Yuugao smiled. "Yes, Hayate-kun and I have been together for almost four years now," she replied, "We're planning to marry on October 9, the day before Naruto-kun's birthday."

Sakura smiled, "That's wonderful!"

"Yeah yeah, I'll bring the sake and male strippers to the party," Anko interrupted, tossing her dango skewer at the young kunoichi and forcing her to start dodging again, "Now, where were we?"

And so the training began again…

oOoOoOo

Sasuke stared out over the village from the cliff he was on, waiting for Kakashi to arrive. He absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder where Orochimaru had branded him with the curse seal.

**The power I felt with this thing…I know its wrong, but it felt so strong,** he thought, his mind struggling with the concept of denying power that could put him on Itachi's level.

He felt the familiar ache in his heart as he recalled the three members of the now deceased Uchiha clan that he had loved the most. The gentle, soothing sounds of his mother's humming while she made the bento's for his and Itachi's lunches; the boisterous laughter of his Uncle Katsuya as he hammered away the knicks from various kunai in his forge; his aunt's warm smile as she complimented him on his report card from the Academy…

Unbidden, the memory of his father praising him for mastering the Goukakyu no jutsu came to mind. It was the happiest memory he had of the otherwise stern and imposing man.

**I have to beat him,** he thought, **I won't fall into his trap, or Orochimaru's. I will get stronger…and I'll make him pay.**

His eyes shifted to the side as Kakashi appeared, leaping up from the sheer edge of the cliff. "You're late, Kakashi-sensei," he muttered (far more quietly than his teammates would have, he was sure).

"Well, I had a tooth ache and needed to visit the dentist," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke was shocked at what seemed like an almost reasonable excuse for once.

"…it took the doctor a while to find a way to work through my mask."

Sasuke groaned. **I knew it was too good to be true.**

Kakashi stood straighter after that. "Now, we've got a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it," he said, "Much of this training is going to be purely physical, Sasuke. I have to get your speed as close to my own as I possibly can in order for you to be able to use the jutsu I'm going to teach you…so from this point on, if you need to get somewhere? You RUN."

"What about training my sharingan?" Sasuke asked, "Should I keep it active during the training?"

"No," the silver topped jonin replied, "In fact, unless I specifically tell you to, do not activate your sharingan. If you rely on it too much, you'll never be able to match Itachi."

"What? But how can I hope to surpass his eyes if I don't train my own?" the Uchiha asked, confused by this turn of events.

"Itachi's eyes are powerful, that's true," Kakashi replied, "I know how strong he was back then, he was a subordinate of mine after all." He waved his hand when Sasuke started to speak. "ANBU Sasuke, and I can't tell you more than that yet. After the exams, if you're promoted, I might be able to tell you."

Sasuke frowned, but nodded. "But my eyes…"

"Did you know, that unless it was during a battle, Itachi never used his sharingan to learn a jutsu?" Kakashi asked, interrupting his student yet again. At his dumbfounded look, Kakashi elaborated, "Tell me, have you ever seen a photocopied piece of paper?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"The Sharingan's ability to copy jutsu's works along a similar principle," the masked man replied, "Now, tell me, what's a photocopy usually look like when compared to the original?"

"It's usually just black and white," he replied.

"Exactly," Kakashi said, his visible eye turning into and upside down 'u', signifying his smile, "Some of the details are lost, right? The color, the 'feel' of the document is diminished. So, if you apply that concept to copying jutsu with the sharingan…"

"The…effectiveness…is lost?" the boy asked.

"You got it," Kakashi replied, "I may have copied a thousand jutsu with my own sharingan, but I practice those jutsu constantly. I learn about them, understand them, and see how they can be applied in different situations. Itachi was the same way."

"So, by taking the time to learn it the hard way…" Sasuke started.

"You can not only use it more effectively, but you can also conceivably increase its power," Kakashi continued, "That's why, when I teach you my technique, I want you to learn it without the sharingan."

"Then lets get started," Sasuke replied, setting down into a ready stance of his family's taijutsu style, "I don't want to waste any time."

"Good," Kakashi replied, setting down into a ready stance of his own, "Then lets start."

**oOoOoOo**

Naruto leapt back as another wave of senbon impacted the ground where he had been standing. His body bore a smittering of scratches and red marks from the girl's blows.

Why is it every girl I meet can hit so HARD!?! he wondered, pulling another set of shuriken out and launching them at the girl.

Kin frowned as she ran through a quick set of seals. "**DOTON: IWA SHURIKEN!**" (3) she cried out, a group of small stones, guided by her chakra, leapt into the air and intercepting the bladed stars.

"**FUTON: SHUUREN KEN!**" (4) Naruto shouted, punching his fist forward, a surge of chakra enhanced air shooting forward, punching through the small barrier of rocks. Kin leapt upwards, over the rushing winds and came down next to the blond.

Punch, kick, sweep, leap, grab, knee-lift, backfist…it went on for several moments, before the pair separated again, breathing heavily.

Kin frowned as Naruto seemed to recover almost instantly, while she could literally 'feel' her muscles burning from the constant exertion. "Just…how…much…energy do…you have kid?" she growled out.

"More than most people know what to do with," he replied, "I gotta say though…this is kinda fun!" He grinned widely.

The dark haired kunoichi gaped. "FUN!?!" she shouted, "I'm trying to kill you, and you think its FUN!?!"

"You could have killed me several times already," Naruto replied, pointing to a few scratches along his body. "This one a few centimeters to the left would have punctured my lung, and this one," he pointed to a scratch along the right side of his neck, "It would have pierced my artery, or vein, or which ever it is on that side."

Kin frowned. "So I missed," she growled.

"You chose to use senbon," Jiraiya spoke up from the side, sipping some sake from a cup, "That means that you must have some pretty good accuracy…you missed alright, but you did it on purpose."

"That snake freak sent you here to kill me, right?" Naruto spoke up, shocking the girl. "You are an Oto-nin, and that's his village. It makes sense."

Kin frowned. "I…was ordered to," she admitted, "But I came here for my own reasons."

"You wanted to know if I was different," Naruto replied, "You've seen me fight now…what do you think?"

Kin thought back to the last few minutes. She'd done everything she could think of to force the blond to use some kind of Eigi style move, and nothing had come about. His taijutsu…the only word she had for it was 'sloppy'.

"You really don't know it, do you?" she asked.

"I know some theory, like I said," the blond replied, "But I've never been taught anything but the basic stance and some footwork. They left me behind before I could learn anything real."

Jiraiya stood up, walking to the bare chested boy and putting his hand on the boy's shoulders. "I can't understand what the elders were thinking," he said, patting the boy's back in an effort to comfort the pain in his heart. "But, I do know a way you can get back at them." He turned to Kin. "First, what hold does my old…friend…have on you girl?"

Kin frowned. "Why should I tell you?"

"Because, either way you'll have to," Jiraiya replied, "You've attacked a Konoha ninja during a peace period. You've got no chance of beating me, so you're basically a prisoner right now. You can tell me, and we can see if I can help…or I have to take you to my old student Ibiki."

"That scary guy from the first exam!?!" Naruto gasped.

"So he still scares people huh?" Jiraiya grinned, before turning to the girl again with a serious frown on his face, "Ibiki is a master of psychology and torture…he can break people just by staring at them. You can talk to me, and I'll pull some strings…or you can talk to him, and suffer the consequences. I guarantee Orochimaru won't care either way. He sent you here on a suicide mission."

Kin growled. "But he…"

"Promised to make you his elite, right?" Jiraiya laughed, "He did the same thing to another girl in this village, and then he tossed her by the wayside. He doesn't care about his subordinates, girl. He just cares about his games."

"Oi, Ero-sennin," Naruto spoke up, "Let us have one last go." He turned to the girl. "If I win, you tell us the truth and let us help you. If you win…we let you go."

"Naruto…" Jiraiya muttered, glaring at the blond.

"I won't lose, dattebayo!" the short boy grinned.

Kin frowned. **I don't have much chakra left,** she thought, **And that man is one of the sannin…either I take this bet, or I'll be put through torture.** She spared a glance at the blond. His eyes…they're so…sincere…

"I accept the bet," she replied, "One last rush, my best jutsu against whatever you've got!"

"Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked, glancing up at the white haired man.

"Phsstt, do what you want kid," the white haired sage replied, walking back to his seat.

Naruto smiled, before sliding into the basic stance of the Eigi style. **I don't know Rapier, and I can't really use Blade or Sword,** he thought, **But…if I focus enough chakra, maybe I can…**

Kin began flying through a seal sequence while Naruto was considering his options. **This is my best jutsu,** she thought, **I learned it specifically to counter the Eigi style…now lets see it work!**

Inu, tori, saru, tori, uma, nezumi, ryu, hebi, tora, usagi, inu, hebi, buta, tori, hebi.

"**DOTON: KAMI HASHIRA, ONI JIMEN!**" (5) she cried, as the ground around them began to churn and shake, like a pot of water being boiled over. Beneath her feet, a circular pillar of stone pushed her above the churning chaos, lifting her into the sky and giving her the high ground over the struggling blond. "Stop struggling!" she called down, "My jutsu has turned the earth beneath you into quicksand! The more you fight it, the faster you'll sink down!" She pulled her last few senbon from her pouch. "And if that wasn't enough, I also have perfect position to riddle you with my senbon…you can't win!"

**What are you planning to do now, kid?** Jiraiya wondered, even as he sipped his drink. He'd step in and save the boy if necessary, but he was curious as to what he could do.

**DAMN!** Naruto grumbled as he felt himself sinking faster, **How can I get out of this? It's nothing like water walking, and tree walking was all about channeling the chakra to my feet! So…how…**

A memory from the training Kakashi had put his team through while in Nami no Kuni came to his mind.

"_Not enough chakra, and you'll fail to stick," the masked jonin muttered, "Too much, and you'll be blown right off!"_

**Could it really be that simple?** Naruto thought, **If I focus all of the chakra I can, and release it all at once…that could work!**

Kin frowned as she felt the boy begin to focus his chakra. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work!" she shouted, launching a senbon and piercing his shoulder. He merely grunted at the pain. "Why do you keep trying!?!" she cried out, "Why can't you just give up!?!"

"Because…then I really would be LIKE THEM!" the blond shouted, a huge burst of chakra exploding from beneath him, launching him from the sand pit. The force of the blast caused him to backflip, another wave of chakra lancing from his foot, streaking at the shocked girl, forcing her to leap from her pillar.

"What…was…that!?!" she gasped.

"What the hell…" Jiraiya muttered, shocked by this turn of events.

"Heh, a little too much," the blond replied, his fingers coming together into his favorite 'cross' seal. "Now, to end this fight! KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

Five copies of the blond formed in a tight circle around the shocked girl. How!?! she wondered, before one of the clones gave her a hard right hook.

"U!"

Three of the clones slid underneath her, striking up with a series of hard single leg mule kicks and launching her into the air.

"ZU!"

"MA!"

"KI!"

The forth clone gave the original Naruto a boost into the air, the boy spinning around before extending his leg into an axe kick, catching the airborne girl on her left shoulder.

"NARUTO RENDAN!"

Kin cried out as she crashed back into the ground, her jutsu fading as the real Naruto panted heavily. He walked over to the girl, finding her bruised and unconscious, but alive.

"That…what did you do just then, kid?" Jiraiya asked, checking on the girl as well.

"I just focused as much chakra as I could into my feet, and released it all at once," he replied, "It was the force of it that caused me to back flip."

Jiraiya grinned. "That is the principle, from what I understand, of the 'Rapier' technique," he replied, "But that…that was far more powerful than Rapier. Kid, you just made your own Eigi style move…won't that just piss old Kosuke off."

"My own Eigi style move…" Naruto whispered, slightly overwhelmed by the prospect.

"I think you'll need to come up with a good name for it," Jiraiya said, "But now we have another goal to work for." He picked the girl up. "C'mon, lets get her some treatment, and get her talking. We've only got a month, so you're training gets tough tomorrow."

Naruto grinned.** I'm coming for you, Taro, **he thought.

**You are going DOWN!**

End Chapter 5

(1) NINPOU: ENKAKU OTO, HITOSHIREZU DENGON NINJA ART: Distant Sound, Hidden Word.

(2) FUTAI NO KIWAMI: Two Fold Extremity.

(3) DOTON: IWA SHURIKEN Earth Release: Stone Shuriken

(4) FUUTON: SHUUREN KEN Wind Release: Drill Fist

(5) DOTON: KAMI HASHIRA, ONI JIMEN Earth Release: God's Pillar, Demon's Ground


	7. The High Pressure System

Chapter 6: The High Pressure System

"BLADE!"

A rush of energy surrounded the black clad leg as it and its owner descended from above, coming down hard against the Doryuheki that had been hastily raised in defense.

The wall shattered, and the technique continued, crashing into the wide-eyed caster, sending him crashing down into the earth, a spray of blood leaving his mouth as the swirling chakra lanced into him.

"Medic!" an aged voice came from the side, as a pair of medic-nins rushed forward to heal the fallen one.

Uzumaki Taro glared at the fallen Uzuki branch member, before stalking off to the side to grab a bottle of water. "This is getting me nowhere," he grumbled, "None here are strong enough to give me the challenge I need."

"That may be true, Taro-kun," the aged voice continued, as an elderly man walked forward, a short white beard trailing from his chin while his equally white hair was held in a traditional samurai que. "Still, you must practice to hone your skills. Your opponent may not be much, but a good showing is needed if we are to maintain the daimyo's favor."

Taro grunted. "That old fool is hardly worth my concern, even if he's the Fire Lord," the black haired boy replied, "His money may be good, but it's hardly worth it if I can't test my skills."

"Keep that tongue of yours in check, boy," the elder answered, rebuking the arrogant boy, "Such language can be construed as treason…"

"I won't speak like that before him, Kosuke-sama," the boy replied, "Still, can we please get me someone with REAL skill? I want an actual challenge!"

"Unfortunately, the only one's who could challenge you are not here," Kosuke replied, "Kagura-san has left on a brief courier mission for the Fire Lord, and Kanna-san is nowhere to be found."

Taro frowned. "She's been doing that a lot lately…" he muttered.

"Quite," Kosuke replied, "But that is not your concern. Your only objective…"

"Is to kill the outcast," the boy interrupted, "Don't worry, Kosuke-sama…I already have his number."

"See that you do," Kosuke replied, "Now, continue with the 15 Blow Katas. Twenty repetitions."

"Yes, Kosuke-sama."

oOoOoOo

Kanna walked toward the ramen stand with more than a little trepidation.

Eight years, she thought, It hasn't changed in all that time…but I have.

She lifted the flap covering the entrance, gazing at the simple, yet well kept facility. She recognized several of the pictures that adorned the walls, and noted a few new additions.

There was one scene with four people that caused her breath to catch in her throat.

Naruto was sitting there, his hands upon his hitai-ate as if adjusting it. On his left side was a good-looking young man sporting a chuunin vest, a distinctive scar crossing his face over his nose. He seemed to be laughing at something.

On Naruto's right side was a woman with the purple hair common among women of the Uzuki clan, the woman sporting the armor that the ANBU were famous for. Uzuki Yuugao, the blue haired girl thought, You at least…had the courage to stand up.

"Welcome to Ichiraku's!" a pleasant female voice sounded, shaking the young girl from her thoughts. She turned to see a girl in a white apron with a hankerchief tied in her hair, leaving just enough to show people her chocolate locks. "What can I…" the girl trailed off when she finally saw who was standing there.

"Ichiraku Ayame-san," Kanna muttered, "It's…been a while, hasn't it?"

Ayame frowned, her voice going cold as she replied to Kanna's statement. "Over eight years now, Uzumaki-san. I'm surprised you remember me…"

"I have a near photographic memory," she replied, "I…didn't ever want to forget you…or this place."

"Yet you saw fit to forget him," the young woman replied, causing Kanna to wince. "He's been our best customer for years now, you know? I think he'd have a fit if he knew we've been adding vitamin supplements to the broth just for him…but then, he can't exactly get a fair deal for fruits and vegetables at the stores here."

Kanna sighed. "That was not my decision," she explained, "I don't know what the elders or my mother…"

"Don't mention that woman in this place!" a gruff male voice sounded, as the pair turned to see Ichiraku Teuchi walk out from the kitchen area, "I don't ever want to even hear her name."

"Ichiraku-san…" Kanna whispered.

"I'm afraid we'll be closing soon, kunoichi-san," the old man went on, ignoring her hurt look, "If you have an order to place, please do so now. I'll have the bowls whipped up in a few moments for take-out."

"I…didn't come to order…"

"Then please leave," the old man replied, turning around and walking back into his kitchen. Kanna gaped for a few moments at the sudden dismissal.

"Consider it a small taste of what Naruto-kun goes through everyday, and has since you and your clan left," Ayame spoke up, "I heard about his match with the 'clan heir'…you do know that prick is going to get his ass handed to him, right?"

"It couldn't happen to a better person," Kanna replied, shocking the apron-clad girl, "I have no love for Taro…he's crazy, and he needs to go down."

Ayame blinked at the vehemence in Kanna's voice. "I never expected to hear you say that," she muttered.

"Like you said, its been eight years," Kanna replied, "I've had time to grow up…"

"Then why didn't you come for him?" Ayame growled. "He may have had Yuugao-san, and Iruka-san, and Hokage-sama…but as close as they are, you are HIS BLOOD SISTER!"

If she'd been capable of it, Kanna was sure the usually mild-mannered ramen girl would be generating an aura of killer intent.

"I stayed because I needed to find out the truth," Kanna replied, "There's something happening in the clan, and I don't know if its good or bad. All I know is, despite the fact that they left him behind, the elders want something from Naruto…"

Ayame scowled. "You people just can't stop hurting him, can you!?!" she growled, "Leave please."

"Ayame-san…"

"It's Ichiraku-san to you, Uzumaki-san," she replied, "As far as my father and I are concerned…there are only two Uzumaki and one Uzuki who are welcome in this establishment. We neither want nor desire your business."

Kanna frowned, but nodded. "I apologize for intruding then," she replied, turning to leave. "Before I go, can I ask one question?"

Ayame scowled again, but replied, "You may."

"Has he had some happiness?"

The question struck the brown haired waitress by surprise, but she found herself nodding. "Not as much as he deserves…but he has had some," she replied.

"Good." With that, the blue haired chuunin walked out of the stand. She looked over in the distance, staring at the Hokage monument, and the four faces engraved on its cliff.

Otou-sama, she thought, Would you be angry with me too?

oOoOoOo

Kin groaned as she came too, her back aching as she tried to sit up.

This proved to be a problem as she was lying on her stomach.

…it proved to be a very DISTURBING problem as she realized she was topless and sans her bandages.

Her eyes darted around before landing on the blond haired boy who sat a few feet from her. His head was bowed and his breathing indicated he was asleep.

"He pushed himself pretty hard in that fight with you," came the deep voice of the sannin Jiraiya, as he entered the room, causing her to flush with embarrassment. He noticed her distraught gaze and chuckled. "Relax…I may be a super-pervert, but I'm no pedophile. I took your shirt and bandages off to apply some healing solvent, and a seal to alter your chakra's flow."

Kin gasped. "You…sealed me?" she gasped. She was well aware of what seals could do, having watched the pain Tayuya had gone through when Orochimaru applied the jigoku no juin to her.

"Relax, its not a torture seal or anything like that," he replied, running a hand through his white hair, "What it'll do is slightly alter your chakra's flow pattern so my old teammate can't lock in on you. Its called the sakasa kawa fuin. It'll send your flow down a different path, inverting the natural way your chakra rotates. You'll need to practice your control to regain a few things, but this gets you out from Orochimaru's control…and frees you to answer a few questions."

Kin sighed. "My clothes?" she asked.

"Right here," he replied, tossing a bundle to her, "I had them washed. You got them a bit bloody after the knuckle-head here hit you with that technique."

Kin wrapped her chest with quick precision, before donning her grey tank-top. "What was that, anyway?" she asked, "I've heard about those 'chakra kicks' the Uzumaki are famous for, but I've never heard of one like that…"

"Neither have I, and I'm a member of the Uzuki branch house," Jiraiya replied, "It's all new and all his. He hasn't even named it yet…or if he has, he's probably saving it for that punk Taro."

A loud yawn garnered their attention, signifying the orange-clad boys return to the land of the living. "Ugghh," he groaned, "I really need some ramen."

"Eat later, work now," Jiraiya replied, hoisting a large scroll from behind his back, opening it as he went. "You've got a contract to sign, and training to get to."

"Huh?" the blond grunted, looking at the paper. He spotted what he thought was Jiraiya's name on the parchment (the old perv's handwriting is as bad as mine, he thought), as well as a set of marks that looked like 'Arashi'…

"This is the Toad Contract," Jiraiya explained, "It's a part of the jutsu I'm going to teach you…Kuchiyose no jutsu."

Naruto looked at the scroll again, one of his eyebrows rising in curiosity. "Toads…" he muttered.

"Yeah," Jiraiya replied.

"What the heck are toads good for? I don't want to beat my opponent with warts!" the blond shouted, causing the sannin and the kunoichi to stumble and sweat-drop.

"The Toad contract is one of the three compacts that Konoha is famous for, gaki!" the white haired sage muttered after righting himself, "Only one of the Sannin, like me, can give it to another to sign. The toads are very damn useful too!"

"How?" the blond replied.

"Spying, defense, aiding in jutsu, transportation, the list is virtually endless," he replied, "Their also good on the battle field…in fact, of the three great contracts, Toads are the best suited for battle. Sure, the snakes have speed, and the slugs have incredible defensive powers, but the toads are the most well rounded; offense and defense, they're the best."

Naruto nodded. "But…"

"Yeah?"

"What about warts?"

Kin groaned while Jiraiya sweat dropped. "YOU WON'T GET ANY WARTS YOU IDIOT!" the older ninja shouted. "Just sign the bloody thing so we can get with the training!"

The blond jinchuuriki nodded hastily, unfolding the large scroll. He finally found an empty slot, next to a name that was barely legible. He wasn't sure, but the name looked something like 'Ara-bi', or something to that effect.

"Um, how do I sign this thing anyway?" he asked, looking up at the tall pervert.

"Bite your thumb, and use your blood to write your name," Kin spoke up, surprising the two. "I have a friend back in Oto named Tayuya…she has a summoning contract. I saw her sign it when we both lived in Tsuchi no Kuni."

Jiraiya nodded. "The way you were fighting," he muttered, "I thought so…you the use shiroi-shushou style Iwa taijutsu."

Kin nodded. "It's the only type of taijutsu I had any real talent in," she replied, "I'm a markswoman and a genjutsu user mostly." She frowned as she remembered her friend. "Tayuya has me beat on taijutsu and genjutsu completely though…I hope she's alright."

"If Orochimaru has a use for her, then she'll be alright for a little while at least," Jiraiya replied, "He loves to sacrifice his pawns, but only when he's ready to checkmate the king."

Naruto wasn't sure he understood what the old pervert was talking about, but he followed Kin's advice.

A few strokes of his thumb , an elaborate swirl on the and, and a bloody handprint soon decorated the empty slot on the rice-paper scroll. Jiraiya nodded, rolling up the parchment and tying it up.

"All right, now we get into the deep stuff," he spoke, turning once again to the dark haired Kin, "As you know, you can't ever go back to Oto now…my old 'friend' will kill you on sight." At her nod, he continued, "As it stands, right now you're a prisoner of Konoha, but I can pull a few strings with the old man and get you protection. If you prove yourself to be trustworthy, he might even allow you to be a kunoichi again."

Kin frowned. "And if I don't?" she asked.

"Interrogation, torture, imprisonment, and eventual death in the iron or copper mines of the Fire Lord," he replied, shocking Naruto. Kin merely nodded.

"I thought so," she muttered.

"Oi! I don't like that idea one bit!" Naruto growled, "I may not know this girl, but I know good people when I see them, and this girl is good!"

Kin felt a small rush to her cheeks at that. Wha… her mind railed.

"Besides, she's a good fighter, and I'd love another chance to spar!" Naruto continued, "How do we get the old man to allow her to stay?"

"You let me worry about that, kid," Jiraiya answered, "For now, we need to get to your training. If this is going to work, you need to focus on both your new Eigi style move…and on getting your 'prisoner's' power under control."

Kin frowned. "Now hold on…" she growled.

"I wasn't talking about you, girl," Jiraiya interrupted, "I'm going to nominally 'break' a law here, and tell you…"

"Oi, let me tell her."

The pair turned to Naruto, who was wearing a hard expression. Kin looked at his eyes, surprised to see the maelstrom of emotion carried in their blue depths.

His eyes are beautiful…but they look so sad, she wondered.

"You sure kid?" Jiraiya asked.

"If I tell her, you don't break any laws," the blond responded, "Besides, its my burden. I should get to choose who knows about it."

Jiraiya frowned, but nodded, taking a step back.

Naruto turned to Kin. "You were from Iwa, so I don't know if you've heard about Konoha's greatest tragedy," he began.

"The Kyuubi's rampage," she spoke up, surprising the two. "Every nation of the Elemental Countries knows about that. Hell, Iwa considers it a day of mourning - the Tsuchikage was pissed that the monster didn't get to finish the job."

Naruto frowned. "Sounds like a real jerk," he muttered.

"He's a pig too," Kin replied.

"Anyway, you probably heard then that our Yondaime killed that bastard Kitsune at the cost of his own life, right?" Naruto went on. At her nod, he continued, "It's a lie."

"A lie?" she asked.

"Yondaime-sama couldn't kill the bastard, so he did the only thing he could do in that situation…he sealed it."

Kin frowned, the gasped as it came to her. "You…" she whispered.

"Naruto is what is known as a 'jinchuuriki'," Jiraiya spoke up, "He's one of several in the world today. The son of the current Kazekage, Gaara, is possibly one. We're not sure yet. In Kumogakure, there's a girl named Nii Yugito. She's a chuunin at the moment, and the personal student of the current Raikage. She holds the Nibi no Nekomata as her prisoner. There's an old hermit somewhere near Sawagakure who's the oldest of all the jinchuuriki, and keeper of the Yonbi - I actually studied under him for a short time during my travels."

Naruto frowned. "Have they all had lives like me?" he asked.

"If you mean being shunned for something that's not your doing?" Jiraiya asked, "Yeah, most jinchuuriki do. You could almost be considered the 'luckiest' one of all, Naruto." At the boy's confused look, Jiraiya grinned. "Sarutobi-sensei may not have made the 'best' decision letting the villagers know what you are, but his law did let you make friends. You've had a chance to live as a human…most jinchuuriki are treated like weapons at best, and less than eta at worst."

Naruto frowned. "I…I want to meet them, someday," he muttered, "The ones like me…"

Jiraiya frowned. You may get your chance sooner than you think, kid, he thought. Shaking his head, he made a motion to get the blonde's attention again. "Okay, punk, if you want to get stronger, now's the time to start," he grinned. "You've got your contract…now you need to summon. There are five seals to the Kuchiyose - buta, inu, tori, saru, and hitsuji. First, spread some blood on the hand that you used to sign the contract." Naruto proceded to do so. "Good, now, perform the seals, and mold the chakra into the jutsu. Once you finish the hitsuji seal, slam your contract hand on the ground."

Naruto blinked. "That's it?" he asked.

"Well, normally, yes," Jiraiya said, "But in your case…no."

Naruto and Kin stared at him for a few moments, before toppling over in a dual face-fault.

"WHADDA MEAN 'NO'!?!" the orange clad ninja shouted.

Damn this guy's got some pipes, Kin thought, He'd have made a great Oto-nin.

"You need to use chakra other than your own, kid," the gama-sannin replied, "The whole purpose of this exercise is for you to learn how to control the Kyubi's chakra."

Naruto gaped. "Wha…how the heck do I do that!?!"

"You're probably still quite tired from your fight with…sorry, what's your name again, girl?" Jiraiya asked, turning to the dark haired kunoichi.

"…Tsuchi Kin, Jiraiya-sama," she replied.

"…with Tsuchi-san here, right gaki?" he continued.

Naruto frowned. "A bit, but what…"

"That means you've used up most of your own chakra," Jiraiya replied, "This will force your body to seek out the next most ready supply of energy, so you don't kill yourself…and you have the most intense source of chakra known to man inside your gut."

Naruto gaped, then stared at his stomach. "So, my body will drag it out?" he asked.

"Exactly," Jiraiya replied, "Your chakra control is lousy kid…but my father had a rule for situations like that. He always told me, 'Son, never force anything…get a BIGGER HAMMER.'"

"…" was Naruto's response.

"You've got more chakra than any genin I have ever known, and I've known THOUSANDS," Jiraiya continued, "People with kekkei genkai, people with secret family jutsu…heck I even knew a guy in Takigakure who drank a full dose of their Hero water. Proportionally, even with that boost, he STILL had only about two thirds the chakra you do now." The sannin bent down, kneeling next to the boy. "Even with your own natural reserves, though, you can still be beaten…your poor control means you spend too much chakra on any one technique. The Kyuubi is practically an eternal chakra battery…and he's your 'tenant'. So…"

"…he should start forking up his rent!" Naruto concluded. "OKAY! LET'S DO THIS!"

Kin and Jiraiya jumped back as Naruto focused his energy, calling on what chakra he had left.

"BUTA, INU, TORI, SARU, HITSUJI!" Naruto shouted, his chakra surging as he slammed his hand to the groung. "NINPOU: KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

A web of seals flowed out from beneath his bloody palm, and smoke billowed around him.

Did he… Kin wondered.

That was a lot of chakra alright, Jiraiya thought, But it didn't…

A strong breeze blew the smoke away…

…leaving Naruto and the other two stairing at the small pink toad sitting there with a blue jacket draped over its back, and a blue bow resting atop its head.

"Hiya," the toad spoke up, a light soprano signifying it as a girl, "I'm Gamaairashii! Wanna play?"

The three ninja groaned. This…was going to take a while.

oOoOoOo

Hinata winced as the cold water flowed over her aching hands.

Her knuckles were covered with scabbed over wounds. All around her, broken stones and bit of rubble covered the training area.

It…hurts…more than…I ever could…have imagined! she thought, as the young branch house maid patted down her hands with a clean cloth, wiping away the dried blood and caked on dirt.

"Hinata-sama," the young girl spoke, "Perhaps…you should take a rest now. Your hands…"

"I…cannot," the blue haired girl replied, "I…promised myself, and Shiori-sama…I would never give up!" She stood, walking over to the pile of rocks that the white haired elder had left her.

"Hinata-sama!" the maid protested, "You need rest!"

"I…will master this!" Hinata spoke, ignoring the young girls protests and picking up another of the stones. She began focusing her mind on the explanation that the elder had given before leaving.

"_The real secret to the Futai no Kiwami isn't that you are using all of the force in one blow," the wizened old woman explained, "No matter what you do, its truly impossible to destroy something in one blow."_

"_Then, how can I do it?" the nervous heiress asked._

"_Think on it, Hinata-chan," she replied, "I've seen your grades from the academy…you were only one point behind that Haruno girl. You have the book smarts, so now you need to apply them to real life." She turned. "I'm going to go get some tea. Think on what you've seen and what you know, and you'll figure it out."_

I can't do it like this! Hinata thought as she broke the stone with another close-fisted strike, I can only break it…why? I've increased the power in my blows several times now!

Shiori watched from the shadows of the house as the girl stalked over to the rock pile yet again. Beside her, Hiashi stood gazing at his eldest in concern.

"Are you sure teaching her the Futai no Kiwami is the right choice?" he asked, "She has yet to grasp the concept you are trying to instill. At this rate, she'll cripple her hands…"

"You need to relearn to have faith in the girl, Hiashi-kun," the old woman chuckled, "She'll figure it out. She already knows the answer…she just doesn't know that she knows."

Hiashi merely raised his eyebrow in response.

"She's still thinking about what I did, not what I said," Shiori explained, "The pain will cause her to think…and then she'll see the answer." She looked out over the yard, and smiled. "Maybe sooner than we both thought…"

Hiashi turned and stared…as Hinata started laughing.

"Oh, I am so DUMB!" she shouted, causing her father and the attending maid to face fault.

She said one blow won't do it! How could I have missed that! the blue haired girl thought as she sat down and stared at the new stone in her hand. If one blow won't do it, then I need to use TWO!

"Figured it out, huh?" Shiori spoke up, walking out of the shadows with Hiashi in tow.

"It makes sense," Hinata replied, "The name itself should have told me…two blows."

"Heh, about time too," the elder replied, sitting down, letting out a groan as she did, "Damn, I'm not as spry as I used to be…Anyway, that's the true power of the Futai no Kiwami, Hinata-chan. The first blow shatters the resistance, while the second blow uses the full power to destroy the object."

Hinata nodded. "But, how do I do that, Shiori-sama?" she asked.

Shiori picked up the stone from Hinata's lap. "The blows must come in such rapid succession that it seems like just one attack," she explained, showing the girl her fist. Instead of her knuckles all lining up, the second knuckles of her index and middle fingers were slightly extended. "By striking the object with your fist in this manner, you can use the initial strike with your knuckles to break the resistance. Then, the second blow follows immediately afterwards with the rest of your fist, using 100 of your power to pulverize the object."

She demonstrated once again, turning the stone into powder. "You already have the power you need from your own natural strength," she went on, "What you need now is speed. The blows must flow together so completely that it seems as if you are only striking once." Hinata nodded, moving to grab another rock. "But that can wait till tomorrow."

Hinata stopped, glancing over at the elder. "What?" she asked.

"Kimoki-chan here is right," Shiori explained, "You need to rest. After all, if you cripple your hands, you'll be unable to learn the technique."

"Shiori-sama is right, Hinata," Hiashi spoke, "Go and relax. I believe that the kitches just finished making some keihi higashi. Go have some before Hanabi gets to them."

Hinata smiled, then walked off.

Shiori smiled. "…those were Shikuko's favorite treat as well, weren't they?" she asked.

Hiashi nodded. "She couldn't get enough of them while she was carrying Hinata, and again when she carried Hanabi," he replied, "She'll do it, won't she?"

Shiori nodded. "If I'm right about her, then she'll do more than that," she replied. "I think…she'll be the one to complete it."

The pair turned to watch the sunset.

oOoOoOo

Almost two weeks.

Two weeks had passed since the training began, and Sasuke was groaning in pain.

His arm was numb, his legs felt like they were being steeped in hot lead, his back was screaming at him, and his breath was coming in short, hard gasps.

He was having the time of his life!

Kakashi stood off to the side as the Uchiha boy collected himself, standing up shakily. "Maa, maa," the silver haired jonin muttered, "I said you could rest for a bit, Sasuke. I can tell that you're at your limit."

Sasuke shot a hard look at his sensei. "If…I'm…ever going…to…beat him," the boy growled, "I…have…to go…beyond the limit!"

Kakashi frowned underneath his mask. "You know if you go any further you could risk you life, right?" he asked.

"I'm…a shinobi," was the only response.

Kakashi nodded. "Fine," he said, pulling out a soldier pill and tossing it to the weakened youth, "That's the only one I'll give you for the rest of the month. When I say we stop, I don't want any arguments."

Sasuke nodded, swallowing the pill. He felt the sudden rush of energy flood his aching muscles, driving the pain away.

"Now, once again," Kakashi instructed, "Focus the chakra…you have to 'see' it forming a point. Lightning chakra is a piercing energy, while fire is a consumer. Your natural affinity is fire, so you're forcing your body to go a different route. That's why its fighting you."

Sasuke nodded, forming the seals as Kakashi spoke.

O-ushi, usagi, saru. "CHIDORI!" the boy growled, thrusting his left hand towards the ground. He felt the chakra gathering in his palm and finger tips, and he forced the image of a spear into his mind.

"Keep it going, Sasuke," Kakashi spoke, "Keep the point in your head!"

Sasuke roared, shooting forward, and thrusting his hand into the cliff face. A burst of energy flowed out, and dust billowed outward. When it finally settled, a new crater was embedded into the rock face, this one almost double the size of the previous ones.

"Excellent!" Kakashi called out, walking up to the panting boy, "You kept it going perfectly. A few more sessions like that, and your Chidori will be complete."

Sasuke grinned, even as he panted. "Then…lets…"

"Hold on that," the silver haired jounin spoke up, turning to the side. "Come on out, I sensed that intent of yours a while ago."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the red-headed visage of Sabaku no Gaara walked out from behind one of the boulders.

"You…and that other one," Gaara whispered, causing the Uchiha heir to stiffen, "Where…is he?"

"If you mean Naruto, I'm afraid that I don't know where he is," Kakashi replied, making a subtle motion with his foot, telling Sasuke to calm down, "Why do you want him? That killing intent of yours is pretty strong…you wouldn't be planning on killing him would you?"

"…I'm looking…forward…to claiming your blood," Gaara whispered, addressing the Uchiha once again, "You…and this Naruto…I can tell you both are strong." He bowed his head, and emitted a frightening sound.

Sasuke and Kakashi both stiffened…as Gaara's LAUGHTER chilled them to their bones.

"…I'll…see you…in the arena…Uchiha Sasuke," the redheaded boy chuckled, "…Get even stronger…and prove my existence." The boy vanished in a swirl of sand.

Suna-shunshin, Kakashi thought, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand, trying to restore some warmth to his body. He turned his gaze to Sasuke.

The dark haired boy's sharingan was activated, and Kakashi was shocked to see something he didn't expect…

…the boy had 3 tomoe in each eye.

Well, this may actually help matters, the silver haired jounin thought. "Sasuke," he spoke up, snapping the boy out of it, "From now until the finals, your training is going to be about speed. You've got the Chidori…now you need the speed to use it."

"How are we going to do it?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi's visible eye curled, signifying that he was grinning. "I'm so glad you asked…" the jounin replied in a sing-song tone.

Sasuke found that he liked Kakashi's tone even less than Gaara's laugh…

oOoOoOo

"Magen: Kurobara Ken no Mai!" the pink haired girl whispered as her hands flowed through the seals.

Anko smirked as the world around her seemed to darken, and rose bushes seemed to spring up out of no where. She 'felt' vines from the plants wrap around her limbs, and even winced as the 'thorns' pierced her skin.

The girl, Sakura, appeared before her, holding what looked like a giant rose with a sharpened stem. The girl began to sway to some unheard music, before spinning towards the bound woman and stabbing the pointed flower into her captive…

…who dissolved into a puddle of mud.

"Not bad, girl," came a breathy voice behind the panting Sakura. The girl stiffened as she felt the tip of a kunai press into her neck, even as the person holding in used their other hand to fondle her rear.

"Anko-sensei…please don't do that," the girl replied, her breath hitching slightly as the crazy kunoichi pinched her left cheek.

"Why? Would you rather I grope your front?" the demented woman asked, causing the girl to blush, "I got no problems with that." She began to slide her hand forward…

"Sempai!"

Anko cursed. "Damn it Yuugao-chan!" she growled, "You never let me have my fun!"

TheANBU operative walked forward. "You're supposed to 'train' Sakura-san," the purple haired woman replied, "Molesting her is not training."

"Depends on the situation," Anko replied, grinning, "Those special courses at the academy don't really teach girls the right stuff…I keep telling Hokage-sama we need a better seduction class."

Sakura blushed at the idea. Maybe if I had to take a course like that, Sasuke-kun would help me 'study'…

"Get your mind out of the gutter, pinky!" Anko suddenly snapped, smacking the girl on her ass, "We've still got work to do. That genjutsu still needs work!"

Sakura absently rubbed her abused rear. Why is it she always has to spank me to get my attention? she bemoaned to herself.

Yuugao smirked. Then she stiffened, and turned to the side. "Come on out, Reika," she spoke, surprising the pink haired girl.

Another girl with purple hair walked out from behind the trees, ignoring the glare leveled at her by Sakura. She had replaced her outfit from the prelims, and now sported a purple outfit similar to Ino's, but sans bandages and with black lycra shorts to keep her modesty.

"Its been a long time, little sister," Yuugao spoke again, "How are you?"

"I've come with a message from the clan, Yuugao-san," the girl replied, ignoring the disappointed look her sister gave her, "Kosuke-sama and the council demand your presence immediately at the clan compound."

Yuugao frowned at the mention of the leader of the council. "I am on assignment at the moment," she replied, "Until Hokage-sama relieves me of said assignment, I cannot leave my post. Besides, I'm an 'outcast' like Naruto-kun, remember? The old man can demand all he wants, I'm not his puppet."

Reika frowned. "I'm no puppet either, big sister," she replied, "I'm one of the most trusted new genin in the clan…"

"Who got her ass kicked by the clan's outcast," Sakura interrupted, "Or should I say got her ass shown off? That tattoo was interesting…I know Kiba-san was happy to see it."

Reika glared at the pink haired girl. "That…boy…got lucky!" she growled, "I am stronger that he'll EVER be!"

"No, you are not, Reika," Yuugao replied. The girl glared at her sister, and the ANBU woman glared back. "You will never match Naruto-kun in strength. You may have more jutsu than he does, and you may know more about the Uzumaki ryu than he does…but you lack something that he has."

"And just what would that be?" Reika asked.

"A real reason to fight," Yuugao replied, "Naruto doesn't fight for glory anymore. He used to be an attention hog, and he still is a bit, but now he has a different reason to fight…and that reason pushes him beyond limits that you can't even begin to approach. Taro? He's a spoiled brat with some skill…against any other opponent, even I'd say he's likely to win. Against Naruto?

"…like the rest of his friends, I'm looking forward to seeing his ass handed to him."

Reika frowned. "And what's this reason?" she asked, "Is it revenge against the clan?"

"No," Sakura spoke up, "Naruto doesn't believe in revenge. He doesn't even consider the clan worth it. Naruto's reason to fight? He does it to protect his precious people."

"What…are you blabbering about?" Reika frowned.

"You fight for recognition, don't you?" the pink haired girl asked, "Have you really gotten stronger when people praise you?" Reika opened her mouth to reply, but Sakura continued. "On our very first C-Rank mission, Naruto and our teammate Sasuke faced a nuke-nin from Kirigakure. The guy had a kekkei genkai that allowed him to manipulate ice…he was faster, stronger, and more skilled than the three of us combined. In the end, it was Naruto who beat him…Sasuke couldn't even touch him, and I was too scared to really do anything. Naruto, who I had insulted and laughed at the whole time we were in the academy, wound up saving our lives…and he did it because he wanted to protect us."

Anko smirked. "The kid sounds more and more fun to be around," she muttered, "And his blood was tasty…"

"Naruto-kun's strength is his ability to care," Yuugao replied, "He cares about people more than he does himself, even when he as every right to only care about himself. Because he cares, he'll overcome any limits there might be…you, on the other hand, sister, only care about people praising you.

"Naruto wants people to respect him, but he'll earn it by protecting them. Until you understand that, you'll never be as strong as him."

Anko snorted. "Now, we were in the middle of training here, so since your message is delivered, you should leave," she spoke up, "Go tell you elders that their want's take a back seat to Hokage-sama's orders. Now get!"

Reika snarled, then frowned as Yuugao turned her back to her. "Anko-sempai is right, sister," she said, "Right now…you're not wanted here."

The smaller purple haired girl frowned, but walked away. He fights to protect…how does that make him stronger? It doesn't make sense…

oOoOoOo

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

A large cloud of smoke billowed out from the bleeding hand, and proceded to shroud the orange clad blond.

"That one was bigger than before…" Kin muttered.

"But it still wasn't right," Jiraiya groaned.

"Boy, big brother's not too good at this, is he?" Gamaairashii chuckled from her position on the dark haired girl's shoulder.

The cloud blew away with a gust of wind, and the group was left staring at the red toad sitting on the ground.

"Hey! I'm Gamakichi! Got any sweets?" the toad spoke up.

"Gamakichi! You know grandma said you need to cut down on the candies!" The pink toad shouted.

"Huh? Gamaaraishii?" the male toad, now identified as Gamakichi, replied, "What are you doing here, little sister?"

"I'm helping train our new brother here," the girl toad replied cheerfully, "He's strong, but he's not too good at summoning."

"Hey! I'm trying my best here, damn it!" Naruto growled, "Why won't that stupid fox's chakra come out!?!"

Jiraiya sighed. He's improved his new kick, and his control is getting better, the white haired sage thought, But without the ability to control the fox's chakra, he won't be ready for the problems that are coming… His eyes narrowed. I may have no choice but to try THAT method…

"Huh, so you're trying to summon someone like pops or Uncle Gamaken?" Gamakichi was speaking, "You'll need a lot more chakra than what you're trying to use to do that."

"I know," Naruto groaned, "I'm trying to pull it out, but it just won't come."

Kin frowned. "Maybe that's the problem," she replied, "Maybe you need to just 'let' it come out, rather than 'force' it to come out."

"It's a good thought, but wrong in this case," Jiraiya replied, "Demon's like Kyuubi are like forces of nature. If Naruto just 'lets' it flow, the fox will try and overflow into his coils. It can't escape the seal, but it could try to take over his mind."

"Oh…that would be bad," Kin muttered.

"On epic scales," Jiraiya replied, "There's one last option, but we'll try that after lunch. You kids take a break. I'll head into the village and get some food. What's your pleasure?

"Some okonomiyaki would be nice," Kin replied, "Vegetable style with a fried egg."

"Miso/Pork ramen with a boiled egg!" Naruto replied, grinning.

"I'd like some caramel candy!" Gamakichi spoke up.

"Some apple slices would be nice," Gamaaraishii replied, giving the toad equivalent of a grin.

"Got it," Jiraiya nodded, "I'll be back in a bit." A quick hitsugi seal and he was gone in a swirl of leaves.

"I have just GOT to learn that jutsu!" Naruto grinned, "The pranking possibilities alone…"

Kin smirked. This guy is a complete goof, she thought, But…he's a nice goof. She heard a faint sound near the tree-line. She slipped a senbon into her hand, and turned to the trees. "Naruto-san, we have company," she said.

"Eh?" the blond boy muttered, "Who's there?"

"A…ano, I didn't…mean to disturb you," a quiet voice came out. Naruto's eyes widened, and he smiled as he identified the voice.

"Oi, Hinata-chan!" he grinned, surprising the dark haired Kin, "Come on out! You don't need to hide."

Kin stared as the Hyuuga girl walked out from the trees. She didn't have a chance to see the girl's fight, but she had heard about what the Uzumaki heir had done, so she restrained herself from attacking.

"Ano, Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke up, "Why…"

"Is Kin-chan here?" he interrupted, "That's a…long story, Hinata-chan. It's…something I don't know if I can tell you about without Ero-sennin here…"

"Is it…dangerous?" she asked.

"…No, I don't think so," he replied, "I just don't know if telling you would break any rules…"

"Why not let me tell her, Naruto-san?" Kin spoke up. At the blonde's look, she continued. "I'm not technically part of your village, so I'm not bound by the laws. You rest up, and I'll talk to…Hinata-san, was it?"

The blue haired heiress nodded.

"Okay…I guess that works," Naruto replied, "I'm going to try the jutsu one more time…" He walked off, Gamakichi and Gamaaraishii hopping after him.

Kin nodded, then turned to the smaller girl. "How about I introduce myself first?" she asked. "My name's Tsuchi Kin…and, I guess as of about a week and a half ago, I'm a nuke-nin from Otogakure."

Hinata gasped. "A nuke-nin?" she muttered, "But, your village was competing in the exam…what about your teammates?"

"If there's any justice, they're dead now," Kin muttered, "If I hadn't agreed to join Konoha, I'd probably be either dead, or used as a broodmare back in Oto. I'm betting the former, given how Orochimaru acts."

"Orochimaru…of the Sannin? The traitor?" Hinata gasped again, "He was your leader? Then…Otogakure…"

"Is Konoha's enemy, yeah," Kin replied, "Come on, lets take a seat. This is going to take a while…"

The shorter girl nodded, walking over to a fallen log with the former Oto kunoichi, sitting down next to her.

"I was originally from Tsuchi no Kuni," Kin replied, "I ran away with a couple other girls before the leaders could turn us into whores…kunoichi are little more than slaves in Iwa, and not much better in Oto. We joined Orochimaru because he promised us power and respect. I was the weakest of our group, but I still got some special training in genjutsu and taijutsu. I was useful, beyond being a breeder.

"When my team failed to pass the third stage, I was contacted by Orochimaru. He ordered me…to kill Naruto-san."

Hinata growled, and her hands (which were bandaged, Kin now noticed) clenched into fists. "Easy there," Kin said, "As you can see, I didn't go through with it. I did fight him, but that was more personal than anything else. He…beat me, and Jiraiya-sama put a seal on me to hide my chakra signature from Orochimaru. Now, I'm helping Naruto-san train."

Hinata nodded. "I'm…not happy that you were sent to kill Naruto-kun," she replied, "But, you didn't go through with it, and I thank you for that." She turned to watch the blond, and suddenly blushed deeply.

Kin raised a delicate eyebrow, and turned to where the girl was stairing. She smirked as she noticed that Naruto had decided to take off his jacket and shirt. Oh, so THAT'S how it is, she thought.

"You…like him, don't you?" Kin asked.

Hinata blushed again. "I…I've liked him for a long time," she muttered, "Ever since we were academy students. At first…it was because he just seemed so free. He did what he wanted, and he didn't care what people thought.

"One day, I followed him to a run down training ground near the village outskirts. He started training, and…that's when I saw it. He was lonely, and no one would help him…yet he kept on trying."

Kin smiled, as the pair watched the half-dressed blond.

"I started leaving little lunches for him at the training ground," Hinata continued, "But, no matter how hard I tried, I never worked up the courage to just TALK to him. Now…now I've seen how his own clan has treated him, and I can't let it go on."

"You hate the Uzumaki clan too, huh?" Kin muttered, "They took my elder sister from me, raping and mutilating her. I've hated them since practically the time I could walk. Now I've seen that there are some good people in that clan." She smiled as she watched Naruto perform the jutsu again, only to summon something too small to be seen. "Another tadpole," she muttered, "Naruto-san…he's something else. I can see why you like him."

"I…I want to be there for him," Hinata admitted, "He…deserves so much…and no one wants to give it to him."

"Well, maybe you two can," came a deeper voice, causing the petite girl to squeak cutely. Kin turned to see Jiraiya standing there, holding several cartons. "Glad I got some extra okonomiyaki, or things might have been awkward." He placed the cartons down. "Nice to meet you, Hyuuga Hinata-san. I'm Uzuki Jiraiya."

"J-Jiraiya-sama!" the pale eyed heiress stuttered.

"Ah, my fame precedes me!" the perverted hermit chuckled. "Tell me, how's Shiori-sensei these days? She still kicking about?"

"Ano…you know Shiori-sama?" she asked.

"Yep, even studied under her for a short time," he replied, "She was more Tsunade-hime's teacher than mine, but she was always a great lady. Even inspired some of my works."

"Works?" Hinata asked.

"He writes perverted stories," came the voice of her crush, as he walked up, "The same one's Kakashi-sensei and Hokage-jiji read."

"Ano, you mean the Icha Icha books?"

Naruto and Kin STARED.

"Ahhhh, my father reads them!" Hinata replied, waving her hands wildly, "He says they were…educational for him and mama."

"Eh, I always knew Hiashi-kun had a wild side," Jiraiya grinned, "So, how's about you join us for lunch then, Hinata-hime?" The girl blushed slightly. "It might help inspire the gaki here when we try that new method for his jutsu."

Hinata nodded, "I don't want to impose…"

"Its no problem, Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned, causing the girl to blush again, "The more the merrier! Besides, you can help me prepare to kick that jerk Taro's ass!"

Kin smiled. "Besides, it'd be nice having another girl around," she added her opinion, then leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "And I think you just might find some of that courage you've been looking for." Hinata nodded vigorously.

Naruto just blinked, and Jiraiya laughed.

oOoOoOo

Sarutobi glared at the pile of papers. He was sorely tempted to use a katon jutsu on the pile, but he was almost certain that the papers would feed off the flames and make the pile even bigger.

Arashi, how I wish I had you and your son's stamina, he thought as he recalled a time when the blonde Hokage had used the Kage Bunshin no jutsu to knock the paperwork down.

At his age, the jutsu was too great a risk to use in any situation other than battle, and even then the elderly ninja wasn't sure he'd want to use it.

Still, the thought was tempting…

"Hokage-sama?" a voice interrupted his musing.

"Hmmm? Yes, Kotetsu-kun? What is it?" he asked, starting at the bandage wrapped chuunin standing in the doorway.

"You have a visitor," he said, "She said its important."

"She?" Sarutobi prompted.

"He means me, Hokage-sama," a light alto came from behind the grey clad ninja. The girl stepped out from behind the man, and bowed to the village leader, her blue locks obscuring her face.

Sarutobi kept his face neutral, despite his surprise. "Uzumaki Kanna-san," he muttered, "It's alright, Kotetsu-kun, she can come in. Could you tell Sayaki-chan to bring a tea service please?"

"Right away, Hokage-sama." he replied, stepping to the side.

Kanna walked forward, and bowed again to the aged leader. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, Hokage-sama…" she began.

"Heh, any excuse to get away from these blasted papers is fine with me, Kanna-chan," the old man chuckled. He spared a glance at the adolesent girl. The resemblance to Kagura was stagarding, but only Arashi had that particular shade of blue for an eye color.

Well, him and Naruto, of course.

"You know, there was a time when you used to call me uncle," he spoke, "I used to bounce you on my knee. Hard to believe you've grown into such a beautiful young woman."

Kanna resisted the urge to smile and blush. "I miss those days too…Sarutobi-otooji," she replied, "I wish things had been different…"

"For Naruto-kun as well?" he asked, "It's been difficult for him, you know. I did what I could, but I always had to put the village first." He sighed. When he learns the truth, he'll have every right to ask for my head too, he thought, Not that I can blame him. I wonder if Asuma is ready to take over the clan…

Kanna frowned. "I know," she replied, "I know he's…had some happiness. I haven't had a chance to talk to Yuugao-sempai yet, but I did talk to the Ichiraku's…I don't think they'll ever forgive me."

Sarutobi frowned. "I don't think its that bad," he replied, "It will just take time."

Kanna shook her head. "Ayame-san was the one who kicked me out of the stand," she replied, "I don't blame her in the least." She stood straight. "I need to talk to you, Hokage-sama. I…I don't know what's going on, but there's something happening in the Uzumaki clan, and I think its bad."

Sarutobi frowned. "Sit down, Kanna-chan," he replied, "Talk to me."

oOoOoOo

Jiraiya kept his face cheerful as Naruto made the two girls laugh with tales of his more infamous pranks. Arashi…I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do, he thought.

"…but then, just when I think I'm in the clear, Iruka-sensei show's up out of no where!" Naruto shouted. "I don't get it! He ALWAYS knew where I was! Even when I didn't know where I was! The guy can read minds like the Yamanaka clan, I swear!"

"Okay then," Jiraiya spoke, getting the attention from the children and toads, "We've got about one more week to get your techniques up to par, and to get you to control that 'other' chakra." He stood, motioning for the group to follow.

"Oi, Ero-sennin!" Naruto grumbled, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," the white haired sage replied.

The group walked along a trail for a while, Hinata and Kin chatting about different types of fighting styles, while Gamaaraishii, Gamakichi, and Naruto talked about different types of sweets (though both Gamakichi and Naruto disagreed with the pink toad about apples being a 'sweet').

"We're just about there," Jiraiya spoke up, "Gamaarashii, Gamakichi, hop on my shoulders for a moment."

"Okay, Ero-senin!" the pink toad replied cheerfully, earning snickers from her brother and the three genin.

"Damn gaki teaching them that nickname," the pervert grumbled as the two toads hopped onto his shoulders. He turned to the confused orange-clad genin. "Alright punk, listen up." Naruto and the two kunoichi stood straight as the white haired man spoke. "To draw out that chakra you need to be in a life or death situation. We've been trying to simulate that with simple exhaustion, and it just isn't cutting it. With only about a week and a half to go, we need to do something drastic."

Kin and Hinata looked confused, while Naruto frowned. "I'll do whatever it takes!" Naruto growled, "Taro humiliated Hinata-chan here, and the clan needs to be taken down a few dozen pegs! Teach me this other method; I'll master it today!"

"Funny you should say that," Jiraiya replied, pushing the boy roughly through the brushes.

"HUHWAUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" the blond cried, as he tumbled through the foliage…and came out in midair, just out of reach of the cliff he found himself staring at.

"NARUTO-KUN!" "NARUTO!" the two girls shouted, rounding on the white haired man. Jiraiya's eyes widened as Hinata punched the ground he had been standing on, forming a small crater filled with dust. So, Shiori-sensei's teaching her THAT move…

He casually caught the senbon flung by the former Oto kunoichi. "Relax!" he shouted, "The kid will be fine…and this will do the job we need!"

oOoOoOo

Naruto tried to grab onto the outcroppings, focusing on the lessons Kakashi and Jiraiya had taught him, his chakra glowing around his hands.

Damn! Its too slippery! he thought as he continued to tumble down the ravine. He could make out the bottom rushing up to him quickly. I'm going to die!

He closed his eyes, bracing for the end.

"Gaki…gaki…come to me, gaki…"

Naruto opened his eyes, and was shocked by what he saw.

It looked like a sewer. There were rusty pipes all along the ceiling, and his feet were almost totally covered in murky water.

"What…what is this?" he muttered, "Am…I dead?"

"Come gaki…come to me…"

The voice penetrated the atmosphere, dark and forboding, yet oddly tempting as well. Naruto found himself moving deeper into the 'sewer', following the pipes as they fed into a hallway.

He came out of the hall, finding a giant chamber, staring at a large pair of ornate gates. Along the border were symbols like the ones he'd seen on sealing scrolls, and in the center of the gates was a piece of paper with the word 'seal' engraved on it.

His eyes widened as he finally realized where he was.

"At last…we meet, gaki," the dreadful voice came again, this time followed by a pair of malevolent red eyes and a giant set of pointed teeth, "Come closer young one…let me see my jailor properly…"

The blond swallowed, before stepping slowly up to the cage. He kept his eyes on the dark red orbs of the Kyuubi, forcing himself to stay calm even though almost every fiber of his being was screaming at him to flee.

He paused a few feet from the doors, looking up at the sharp teeth and demented grin.

There was a pause, where only the breath of the two could be heard, before a flash of white forced Naruto to leap back. He glared at the objects that had startled and tried to destroy him.

The Kyuubi's claws.

"Relax, boy," the deep voice boomed, ""The seal prevents me from harming you. If I didn't hate the man so much for trapping me inside your worthless hide, I would almost admire the Yondaime…

Naruto growled. "You better damn well admire him!" he shouted, "A single human took you down, you damn fox! What's that say for the 'mightiest' of demons, huh!?!"

The fox chuckled. "Don't be too proud of that man, gaki," it muttered, "Shinigami-sama did the real work…though I will admit, I never thought I'd see a human with enough courage to summon that foul god to the battle field."

"Whatever, fox," the boy growled, "It doesn't matter to me! All I care about is protecting those I care about, and proving that I'm not you!"

The fox stared at the boy. "You could never be as great as I," it growled, "Not that you could even be as great as even that fool Shukaku…still, I can see potential in you, gaki." The fox's grin widened. "You could be very great indeed…if you accept my help."

Naruto frowned. "Accept you help? BULLSHIT!" the boy shouted, "I don't need you, demon, you NEED ME! If I die, you go to hell where you belong!" He raised a fist towards the cage. "You've been the reason I was abandoned by my clan, and hated my whole life, and what's more you've been FREELOADING IN MY BODY!"

The fox stayed silent.

"You OWE me, you damn fox!" the boy went on, "I want your chakra as rent! You got almost 13 years of payments overdue, and I'm here to collect! So unless you wanna die…"

He was shocked when the fox…laughed. Not some sinister chuckle or perverted giggle, but a genuine, full blown belly laugh.

"I LIKE YOU!" it bellowed, "Such blatant rudeness, and disregard for circumstance…you ARE interesting!" It laughed some more, as red smoke began to billow from the dark prison, encircling the boy. "Take my power then, Uzumaki Naruto…stay living, and become strong. I won't have a weak landlord…"

Naruto's eyes opened again, but his normal blue was replaced with a kind of purple, and slits now rested where his pupils had sat.

He bit his thumb, and quickly ran through the five seals.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

oOoOoOo

Jiraiya looked down at the two restrained girls, chuckling as they tried to escape from his Shinju Zanshu no jutsu. "I told you, everthing will be fine," he muttered, "You don't really think I'd risk killing him unless I had a plan to save him, do you?"

Kin glared at the white haired man. "And just how would you save him, old man!?!" she growled.

"You don't even know what's happening to Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried, tears leaking from her pale eyes.

"In fact I do, Hinata-hime," he replied, "I sent a few Kage Bunshin down into the ravine earlier…all one has to do is dispel itself and I'll know everything."

"Huh?" the two girls replied intelligently.

"Oh, you wouldn't know about one of the fringe benefits of that jutsu, huh?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head, "Truth be told, I doubt even the gaki knows either…"

He paused for a moment, wincing slightly, before his eyes widened.

"Oh…damn…" he muttered, "He just had to summon THAT one…Even I can't control him."

"JIRAIYA!!!!!" a great voice boomed from the ravine.

Kin and Hinata tried to turn their heads to see…only to witness a giant brown toad with a blue and white haori leap from the ravine.

"WHERE ARE YOU, JIRAIYA!?!" it bellowed, shaking the ground and the trees. "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA OF TELLING THIS KID THAT HE SUMMONED ME!?!"

"Oh, big bro called Daddy!" Gamaaraishii squealed happily, "Now we can really have some fun!"

Gamakichi gave his little sister a wry look. "If he doesn't squash bro first," he muttered.

Jiraiya freed the two girls, before leaping with them to the top of the giant toad's head.

"Oi, Gamabunta, long time no see," the old sage shouted, "Now, what's this about me summoning you? I haven't done any summonings for over two weeks. Didn't Gamadaisho tell you I let someone else sign the contract?"

The giant toad, Gamabunta, snorted. "That forgetful old coot?" he muttered, "He'd forget his tongue if it wasn't in his mouth." He turned his eyes towards the pervert. "So, did this boy really call me out?"

"I sure as hell did!" said boy groaned, standing on the toad's back, "I called you, so now you have to do what…"

"OI! Don't finish that sentence, gaki," Jiraiya shouted, interrupting him, "Gamabunta here is the leader of the Toad Clan. You try and order him around, and you're likely to get squished like a grape."

"Heh heh heh, this kid's got spunk, Jiraiya," the giant toad chuckled.

"DADDY!"

The giant eyes turned to see the smaller pink toad hop over. "Huh? Gamaaraishii-chan? What are you doing here daughter?"

"Bro was learning the jutsu, and I was the first one he called!" she replied, sounding rather proud, "My first time being summoned too! It was fun!"

"Hey pops," Gamakichi spoke up, hopping over to sit next to his sister, "I've been keeping her out of trouble. That kid Naruto's a pretty fun guy."

Naruto, hmmm, the toad boss thought as he stared at the orange clad blond. He chuckled slightly as the two girls fussed over him slightly, despite his protests at being fine. So, that's Arashi's boy…looks like you chose well my friend. I see a great ninja in the making. "Oi, GAKI!" he shouted.

"Huh? Yeah, Gama-oyabun?" the blond replied.

"My daughter and my son both say you're a good kid," he went on, "I trust my kids, so I accept you as a subordinate."

"ALRIGHT!"

"Hold it!" the toad bellowed, knocking the boy down and causing the two girls to stagger. "There's a couple of conditions!"

"Name'em!" the boy grinned, "I'll prove I'm worth it!"

"The first is that you gotta get yourself something better than a bright, 'kill me' orange outfit," the toad replied, causing the four humans to face-fault, "I'm a ninja as well, boy, and I let me tell you…that outfit is an eyesore."

"But I like orange!" the kid whined.

"THEN GET A DARKER ONE!" the toad boss bellowed, "No one said you COULDN'T wear it…just not so BRIGHT a version!"

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'," Gamabunta replied. Kid's not as smart as his father, that's for sure. "The second condition is that you gotta share a cup of sake with me…we need to toast our new arrangement or its bad luck!"

"Sake…but…I'm underage!" Naruto replied.

"Uh, kid," Jiraiya replied, "As soon as you put on that hitai-ate, you became an adult in the eyes of the law. You can buy booze if you want."

"But…"

"Look, just share the drink with him!" Jiraiya said, "I'll even provide it, and we can all sit down and have a quiet drink."

"Now that's the ticket!" Gamabunta chuckled.

oOoOoOo

"…the unusual orders, the re-arrangement of assignments, it all seems strange," Kanna finished, "I can't PROVE anything…but I know Kosuke-sama and the elders are up to something. I just don't know what."

Sarutobi frowned, even as he sipped the green/jasmin tea Sayaki had brought in. If what she's saying is true, then there's signs of a build up of arms in the Uzumaki clan, he thought, But that in of itself could be explained away with their contract to bodyguard the Fire Lord…

"Can you get anything solid, Kanna-chan?" he asked, "Suspicions alone aren't enough for me to act. If I don't have anything to prove such accusations, then the Fire Lord will be personally insulted. He chose your clan personally…that gives them a protective 'cloak' almost when dealing with such things."

Kanna frowned, but nodded. "I can try," she replied, "But I know the elders are watching me…ever since it was decided to start sending our new genin to the Chuunin Exams, the elders have been edgy. I don't know if its just because of my brother, but something has them concerned."

Sarutobi nodded. "In that case," he muttered, pulling out a mission form, "Uzumaki Kanna, I'm assigning you an A-class observation mission. I want you to continue to watch the dealings of the Uzumaki Clan. Report anything suspicious, and try to find some concrete evidence of either wrong-doing or reasonable explanations for their actions. You'll report such findings to a jounin of my choosing. You'll know whom by a simple hand seal…the tori seal."

Kanna nodded. She knew what she was about to do would almost be considered treason against her clan…but something needed to be done.

"I accept the mission, Hokage-sama."

oOoOoOo

12 Days later…

Naruto stood in line with the remaining chuunin hopefuls, his eyes darting from side to side as he observed his friends and enemies alike.

Sasuke had yet to show up, but given that his training was with Kakashi-sensei, it was almost to be expected.

Shikamaru was grumbling about something being so troublesome, and Neji simply stood silently.

The three Suna-nins stood side by side, and Naruto found himself once again repressing a shiver as he glanced at the red headed Gaara. He had seen him a few times in the past few days, walking about town.

The boy was…scary.

His eyes landed on the main target of his ire.

Uzumaki Taro.

The dark haired heir had his usual smug look on his face, and he gave Naruto a jaunty wave. Naruto felt his fists clenching.

I'm going to enjoy taking you apart, he thought.

He turned his eyes up to the stands, his face brightening as he spotted Hinata, Kin, Sakura, and his other friends/rivals. They waved and cheered, and he smiled knowing that some of those cheers were his.

His blue eyes gazed over the arena, before coming to a stop on the Fire Lord's booth.

There they were.

His eyes hardened as he observed some of the elders of the Uzumaki clan. He didn't know them, really, but he could see a similar arrogance in their eyes that Taro held in his. He spotted Reika and Kenosuke sitting off to the side, and Kanna standing behind them.

Then he saw HER.

Blue eyes stared into blue eyes, as a distance that seemed greater than the eight years separated them. One set was hard and cold, reflecting the pain and anger that was the result of abandonment.

The other was equally cold, distant, yet held an undercurrent of…curiosity.

I wonder…just how far have you progressed, Naruto, the woman, Uzumaki Kagura thought.

Watch me Okaasan, watch the child you and your clan forsook so that you may know the depth of my hatred, Naruto thought, I'm going to show you all who I REALLY am.

The jounin in charge of the finals, Shiranui Genma, noticed the tension in the orange clad Uzumaki boy. Hayate, who was recovering from a sudden flare-up of his disease, had spoken of him several times.

This kid's gonna surprise a few people today, he thought. "All right, kids," he spoke.

"The Finals of the Chuunin Exam…are about to begin."

End Chapter 6

Here's a list of the terms used in the story for those who would like to know.

1) Magen: Kurobara Ken no Mai - Demonic Illusion: Dance of the Blackrose Sword. B-Rank genjutsu (my own creation). The caster traps the victim in a thorn bush, and stabs them with a weapon that appears to look like a giant black rose with a sharpened stem.  
2) Keihi Higashi: Cinnamon Cookies. They're actually my nieces favorite as well.  
3) Shiroi-shushou: 'White Palm' style. A type of Iwa taijutsu.  
4) Sawagakure: Hidden Marsh. Is it a real village in the manga? I wasn't sure.  
5) Eta: The old word for 'burakumin', the people who handled corpses and slaughtered animals. Considered to be 'less than human' in feudal Japan (and there's still some prejudice towards those descended from them today, unfortunately).  
6) Takigakure: Hidden Waterfall.  
7) Gamaairashii: Roughly comes out to "Pretty toad". A change of pace from Gamatatsu and Gamakichi.  
8) Jigoku no Juin: Cursed Seal of Hell (I think that's what Tayuya's seal was, I'll look it up to be sure)  
9) Senkasa Kawa Juin: Reversed River Seal. Not sure what rank it'd be, but probably 'B' at least…after all, messing with another person's chakra is risky business.  
10) Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Art of Summoning…did I really have to explain this one?


	8. Monsoon Melee

-1Chapter 7: Monsoon Melee

Taro smirked as he stared at his opponent, noticing the hardened look in the azure orbs of the blond. He idly rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscles along his back loosen up a bit.

"Well?" he asked, "Aren't you going to 'break' me, like you promised last month?" he asked, laughing as the blond narrowed his eyes, "I've been looking forward to this match…and to the opportunity of putting you in your place, outcast."

Naruto frowned, but did not respond to the taunt, instead choosing to slide into a basic ready stance from the academy taught taijutsu style. He pulled a kunai from his thigh pouch, holding it up in a guard position.

Then he raised his left hand up…and flipped Taro off.

There was a smattering of chuckles from the audience, even as the Uzumaki heir growled. "Just for that, freak, I'm going to make you suffer," the dark haired boy muttered.

"You don't know the meaning of the word 'suffering', Taro-teme," the blond replied, "I'm going to teach it to you, even if I have to beat it into every bone in your body. And when I'm done? I'm going to drag your sorry ass up to the stands, and I'm going to make you apologize to Hinata-chan for what you did…and you will MEAN EVERY WORD!"

The last was shouted, as Naruto hurled himself forward, launching his kunai at the same time.

Taro bent backwards to avoid the projectile, pivoting on his right heal and launching a reverse spin-kick at Naruto's open sternum.

Naruto swung his right arm around, catching the leg, and using it for leverage, flipped over the surprised Uzumaki, catching him in the chest with his own left foot.

The force of the impact hurled both opponents apart, Naruto landing on his feet near his starting position, while Taro was knocked onto his back, skidding several feet away.

What…what the hell!?! Taro wondered as he sat up, rubbing his sore chest as he glared at the blond. How did he…

"Come on, pretty boy," Naruto called out, "Get up! I know you've got more than that!"

"Lucky shot, outcast," Taro growled, "I was going to take it easy on you…"

"And that's exactly why you are going to lose!" Naruto shouted back, "I'm going to make you use everything you've got, and I'm going to throw it back in your face! Even if it costs me my life, I'm going to prove that I am better than you!"

Taro smirked. "You want my best?" he asked, standing up and sliding into the Eigi-style's first stance, "You'll be lucky to survive my first attack, outcast." His focused his chakra into his legs, strengthening his muscles as he prepared to attack. "Don't blink…you'll miss me crushing you."

He shot forward, and the battle began once more…

oOoOoOo

Hinata and Kin sat near the other members of the 'Rookie Nine' (as one member of the Hyuuga clan had taken to calling them) watching as the pair below exchanged blows.

"Hinata-san?" a voice came from behind, causing the pale eyed girl and her new friend to turn.

"S-Sakura-san?" she asked, gaping at the girl who had changed drastically in the last few weeks.

Sakura now sported a red halter-top with a tan mini-skirt similar to Anko's. Her legs were sheathed in fishnet stalkings, and bandage wrapping covered her left arm from palm to mid-bicep.

"Anko-sensei suggested the look," the pink haired girl explained, "Though I still think the fishnet is a bit much."

Kin smirked. "Actually, I think it suits you," she spoke, surprising the girls, "When I first saw you in the exams I thought you and that blond girl were nothing but pretty faces trying to be kunoichi…now you look like you mean it."

Sakura frowned, as she stared at the girl. "Aren't you from Otogakure?" she asked, her hand inching towards the kunai pouch on her right thigh, "That's Orochimaru's village…"

"I'm no longer a part of Oto," Kin replied, "Jiraiya-sama saved my life, and the Hokage has given me a chance to become a kunoichi of Konoha."

Sakura frowned again, turning to Hinata. The shy girl nodded. "It's true, Sakura-san," she replied, "Kin-san is a member of Konoha now. She even helped with Naruto-kun's training."

The pink haired girl gaped at that, turning to the arena. The trio watched as the blond unleashed a devastating Fuuton: Daitoppa against the Uzumaki heir, only for him to counter with a Doton: Doryuheki.

"He's gotten stronger," Sakura muttered, smiling. "I used to think of him as such a pain…but now I couldn't be any more proud to call him my teammate." She noticed Hinata blushing slightly as Naruto flexed, but she was surprised to see a slight blush on the former Oto kunoichi's face too.

Oh brother…now Naruto's got two girls who like him, she thought, And he'll probably never realize it.

CHAA! Just tell them to tie him to a bed and screw him blind, SHANAROO! her inner voice cried out. She blushed at the idea.

I really spent too much time around Anko-sensei, she thought, absently rubbing a phantom pain on her ass.

WAY too much time.

oOoOoOo

Taro launched another 'Rapier' kick against the blond, who was propelled upwards by a pair of Kage Bunshin. The blond launched a volley of shuriken, forcing the dark haired boy to jump back.

The dark haired boy ran through a sequence of hand seals, ending on tori. Naruto's eyed widened as he recognized the pattern.

"FUUTON: KAZE GYORAI!" Taro shouted, thrusting his hands forward.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto shouted, a dozen clones forming between him and the fuuton technique. The impact dispersed the clones, buying him enough time to get out of the line of fire, while he launched into a seal sequence of his own. "FUUTON: RENKUDAN!"

Taro smirked, rushing through a new pattern.

Inu, tori, ryu, hebi, o-buta, hebi, saru, tori. "FUUTON: SAIHATSU SONO KEITAKU!"

He spun around, winds surging around him as the Renkudan sped towards his spot. Naruto's jutsu was caught in the winds…and was flung back at him.

"Whaa!?!" Naruto cried out as the burst of wind impacted against his chest, sending him spinning end over end towards the arena walls, crashing into them with a bone-jarring impact.

Taro stopped spinning, and he grinned as Naruto slumped down. "Like it?" he asked, swaggering towards the prone blond. "It's my own creation. The proof that I'm the future of the Uzumaki clan…and that you, are nothing but a waste of skin."

Naruto sat up, spitting out some blood, before leveling a glare at the smug boy. "Y'know…I…never understood…where the clan…gets off…thinking that they're the 'best'," he muttered, forcing himself to his feet, "The Hokages…none of them were Uzumaki…or Uchiha…or even Hyuuga. Jiji up there is a Sarutobi,…and the Shodai and Nidaime were both Makoto clan members."

Taro frowned. "Is there a point to this, outcast?" he asked, buffing his nails against his tunic.

"Yeah…if the Uzumaki are the 'best'…then why don't they do something with those skills?" Naruto asked.

oOoOoOo

Daihino Tetsu, Daimyo of Hi no Kuni, frowned as he listened to the byplay between the two boys. He turned to his 'bodyguard', Uzumaki Kosuke, noticing the hard glare the older man was leveling at the blond.

"Kosuke-san," he spoke, "That boy…Naruto…seems different than I expected."

The grey haired Uzumaki elder shook his head. "It is nothing to be concerned with, Daihino-sama," he replied, "That boy…we have had reports of his 'skills' and actions for years. He is little more than a court jester, and far less of a ninja than Taro-kun is."

"And yet, he is here, fighting the heir of your clan on even footing," the young Fire Lord replied, "While I could certainly see some…oddities…with his choice of garb, the boy doesn't seem to be such a 'freak', as young Taro has repeatedly called him."

Kosuke frowned. "The boy…is not to be trusted, sire," he replied, "You know of his burden, as Sarutobi-dono has told you. While Arashi-san's seal is impressive, I have never trusted the idea of jinchuuriki. No one ninja should posses such power, especially one as undisciplined as that boy."

The Fire Lord frowned, and turned back to the fight. Just what are you like…Uzumaki Naruto? he wondered.

And why do the Uzumaki fear you so?

oOoOoOo

Sarutobi frowned as he cast a glance at the man sitting next to him. The Yondaime Kazekage, normally more belligerent than a Kaze no Kuni sandstorm, was calm and cool as he watched the match.

It gave credence to the information that Genma had managed to obtain during his espionage mission to Sunagakure; that this man was not the Kazekage.

"Its an interesting match-up so far, Hokage-dono," the masked man muttered, "This boy…Uzumaki Naruto, was it? He seems surprisingly resilient, if a bit to loud for a shinobi."

The aged kage smirked, looking down at the match again, smirking as Naruto managed to perform a complicated attack involving a pair of Kage Bunshin and an explosive note. He frowned though, as the Uzumaki heir once again performed his 'saihatsu sono keitaku' technique, flinging most of the concussive force from the explosion right back at the orange clad blond.

"Naruto is arguably the most unique member of our new genin," Sarutobi replied. "His life has never been easy, and Kami-sama knows he'd have every right to hate almost everyone around. However, he refuses to let his heart be darkened by such emotions. Instead, he chooses to grow stronger so he can protect the people and village he loves. It's that innate strength that shall carry him through life."

"Oh? You sound as if you admire him a bit, Hokage-dono?" the blue robed man observed.

Sarutobi nodded, twitching his left pinky slightly. The ANBU standing behind him, shrouded by the Meisai Gakure jutsu, acknowledged his alert motion. "Naruto will go very far," Sarutobi replied, "He has promised himself that he will one day take the title of Hokage himself…and I believe that he shall.

"…he never breaks his word, after all."

oOoOoOo

"Why won't you just FALL!?!" Taro shouted, launching another 'Rapier' at the blond, who created yet ANOTHER of his insufferable Kage Bunshins to act as a shield.

"I…told you…I'm going to beat this lesson into you," Naruto growled back, "And you WILL apologize to Hinata-chan!"

Taro growled. "Must you continue to shame the clan?" he said, sliding back into the first Eigi stance, "You associate with one of our enemies, and now you fight for one!?! Have you no sense of honor!?!"

Naruto frowned. "Honor?" he whispered, "Was it 'honor' that caused my mother to leave me behind? Was it honor that made you step on Hinata's breast?" He started walking slowly towards the Uzumaki heir. "Let me tell you about honor…you think its about the clan, about how people see them. You think honor is about being admired. Well…you're wrong.

"Honor is about putting aside what you want, and doing what's right. Honor is about helping those who need it, and not caring if you're rewarded or not. Honor…is about putting aside hatred, and becoming stronger for it."

Taro frowned. "You can save the diatribe, outcast," he replied, "Honor is also about righting wrongs…and by helping the Hyuuga, you aide those who've wronged us."

"And you've wronged them as well!" Naruto replied, "Yuugao-neechan once told me something…'The problem with and eye for an eye is that, eventually, everyone winds up blind.'"

Taro frowned. "Enough words," he muttered, "I'm going to end this now!"

Naruto frowned. "If you won't listen, then I guess there really is no point in talking," he replied. "Bring it on, Uzumaki Taro! I want your best!"

Taro smirked, as he took a horse stance, hunching over slightly. "Oh don't worry about that," he muttered, as his chakra surged, "You're going to get it."

oOoOoOo

Kagura frowned as she noted Taro's stance. "He's actually going to use it," she muttered, "I told him that he's not ready for it yet."

Kanna spared a glance at her mother. "Are you concerned about him, or Naruto-kun?" she asked.

Kagura's blue eyes hardened as she leveled a cold gaze at her daughter. "I worry about how the clan will be represented," she replied, "Improperly using this technique will embarrass us before Daihino-sama." She absently pushed an errant blue lock of her hair from her eyes. "Remember, we're here for him, and him alone."

Kanna frowned. "I haven't forgotten," she replied, "Anything."

oOoOoOo

"What's that Taro guy doing?" Tenten asked, as she and Neji waited in the wings. The trio of Suna-nin stood off to the side, and Shikamaru stood near Shino.

"He's preparing to use the secret technique of the Eigi style of the Uzumaki Ryu," Neji replied, crossing his arms. "I only know of it. If Shiori-sama or Hiashi-sama were here, they could explain it. All I know is that it will drastically alter the flow of the match."

Tenten frowned. "That guy…he seems like a real prick," she muttered, "And no kunoichi would let his little stunt with your cousin stand. I hope that Naruto kid's got some kind of plan."

Neji stared at the panting blond. "He still has a lot of chakra left, despite all those Kage Bunshin and the various fuuton jutsu he's been using," the stoic boy noted, "He could still pull something off. I'm curious as to what it would be though."

Tenten nodded.

Across the way, Shikamaru and Shino were having a similar conversation.

"Man, I never thought Naruto was so tough," Shikamaru muttered, "He just keeps on coming…its like he's some kind of juggernaut."

"Naruto-san may have always acted like a clown in class, but I have always suspected that there is more too him than meets the eye," Shino replied in his usual monotone voice, "He is known for outwitting ANBU during his escapes after a prank. That alone suggests some level of skill, in pure tactics if nothing else."

"Heh, he's no genius, but he can think on his feet?" Shikamaru chuckled.

"Precisely," the Aburame replied, "His skills seem…hodgepodge at best, but he pulls them together in ways that work. Even when they by all rights should not...if I were to assign a term to him, it would likely be something like 'idiot savant'."

"Eh, he's still troublesome," the lazy Nara replied.

"…true."

oOoOoOo

Hinata's eyes widened as she watched Taro hunch down. "That's what Shiori-sama was talking about," she muttered. She turned to Kin, noticing the girl's brown eyes darkening. "This is…what you've heard about, Kin-san?" she asked.

"The secret of the Eigi style, and one of the few techniques that can really get the Tsuchikage foaming at the mouth," the dark haired kunoichi replied, "…Battle language."

"Battle language?" Sakura asked, "What's that?"

"A technique that's taught to practitioners of the Eigi style of the Uzumaki ryu," Kin replied, "Its…well, there's no real way to describe what it can do." The dark haired girl frowned. "Watch…and pray that Naruto-san can overcome it."

oOoOoOo

"I…am Uzumaki Taro," the dark haired boy growled, "And I…am…INVICIBLE!"

Naruto frowned as he felt Taro's chakra surge. His eyes widened slightly as the muscles and tendons around Taro's arms and legs seemed to bulk up, and he seemed to sink slightly into the ground as if he weighed more.

"NO ONE CAN MATCH MY SHADOW SKILLS!"

Naruto quickly formed a new batch of Kage Bunshin, preparing for the onslaught.

For a few moments, it seemed as if nothing would happen. The entire arena went silent, and every spectator waited with baited breath.

Taro's eyes were shut, and for the briefest of moments, it seemed like he was sleeping…then his eyes snapped open, and he leapt into the air.

"MY ONE BLOW IS UNBEATABLE!"

Chakra began to surge around his leg, and Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the technique Taro had chosen.

Damn! That much chakra! the blond thought, Even with my Kage Bunshin, he'll still have more than enough power to knock me out! And my own chakra's almost gone…what can I do?!

"THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US, OUTCAST!" Taro shouted as he began his decent, obliterating clone after clone as they tried to intercept him, "EIGI STYLE: BLADE!"

oOoOoOo

Reika sat quietly in the stands, her eyes dark with emotion as she watched Taro's kick connect with the blonde's forearms, sending him flying back and impacting against the wall of the arena with an even stronger force than before.

"It appears that the outcast, while he did improve, was still no match for Taro-san," Kenosuke, who sat on her left, muttered. "Taro's use of the Battle Language was unfortunate, but effective. Even with that guard, there is no way Naruto can get up from that."

Reika shook her head. "…its not over," she muttered, "Can't you feel it?"

The sword wielding member of the Uzumaki frowned, turning to his teammate. "Feel what, Reika-san?" he asked.

"The outcast's chakra," she replied, "…it was getting low there for a moment, but it still trumps Taro's. Even with the battle language, that blond jerk still has more power."

Kenosuke snorted. "Power without skill is waste," he countered, "Taro is clearly better at taijutsu, and his new technique, that 'saihatsu sono keitaku' is impressive. With the battle language, his skills only increase."

"At a severe price," a new voice interrupted the pair's thoughts, causing them to turn and look behind them. Reika scowled, as she noted the long purple hair. The Neko mask that marked her as an ANBU covered her face and altered her voice slightly, but she recognized her sister.

"Yuugao-sempai," Kenosuke spoke up, "What ever price there is, Taro won't have to pay it. This match is over."

Reika just knew that her elder sister was smirking behind her mask. "You'll be surprised," the outcast Uzuki replied. "Naruto…just doesn't quit. Watch closely, Uzumaki Kenosuke. Naruto will win this match."

oOoOoOo

Taro smirked at the groaning blond, swaggering over to a kunai that was stuck in the ground, pulling it out and spinning it along his ring finger. "Do you understand the difference between us now, outcast?" he asked. "I could go on beating you down all day long. Heck, I'd like nothing better, but I want to get this over with."

He flung the kunai with a lazy grace, embedding it into the wall next to Naruto's ear. "That's as close as you'll ever get to beating me, freak," he mocked, "Hokage? You'd be better as an errand boy." He turned around, walking towards the proctor. "Call the match, he's through."

Genma frowned at the dark haired boy, but raised his arm to signal the end of the match.

"Its…n-not…over…y-yet…" Naruto groaned, causing Taro to turn and glare at the blond once again, "I…made…a p-promise…to Hinata-chan…and to Kin-chan…and I…NEVER…BACK DOWN!"

Taro glared, before running through a seal sequence. "KAZE GYORAI!" he shouted.

Naruto rolled to the side, hissing in pain even as the jutsu impacted against the wall he had just been leaning against. "You…really have…bad aim, Taro-teme," he chuckled.

"Just stay down!" Taro growled, "This isn't worth your life, as pitiful as it is!"

Naruto glared at the dark haired youth. "Every promise is worth my life!" he shouted back, "I swore…back on that day…that I would…NEVER…abandon anything! I would never break any bonds! I would never back down, and I would never give up! That…is…my NINDO!"

Taro frowned. "Fine…then this is where you die!"

oOoOoOo

Kagura's hands were clenched as she listened to the speech. Each sentence, each word seemed to pierce at the wall of ice she had spent the last eight years nurturing around her heart.

Was it really the right choice? she wondered, Arashi…

Kanna stared at her brother, as he forced himself to his feet. Naruto-kun…I should have been here, she thought, I…father, what would you think of me?

oOoOoOo

Naruto winced as he forced himself into a ready stance. Damn it…for all my talk, I'm barely standing, he thought, If he uses the battle language again, he just might kill me…

Taro took another horse stance, and Naruto frowned saw the boy begin to whisper the words he did before.

I won't be able to take another hit, and my chakra's all but gone, he thought, Even my new technique is out…it still takes a lot of chakra to use. He frowned. I didn't want to do this…

Yo, Kyuubi! If you can hear me…LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!

oOoOoOo

Deep inside Naruto's body, the demon stirred. It heard the call of it's jailor, and felt the pain that the boy was experiencing.

Ku ku ku ku ku, such an interesting mortal, the demon thought, To go so far over something so simple as an apology…perhaps this is why Shinigami-sama admires the fleshlings so.

"Very well, gaki," the fox spirit chuckled, "A little power…and you had better do well by it!"

A tendril of chakra extended from the beast, surging through the boys chakra coils, building up and restoring his strength.

Use this gift well, Uzumaki Naruto, the demon thought. I will have use for that determination of yours soon enough.

oOoOoOo

Taro's eyes widened as he saw the blond hunch down into a mirror image of his own stance. While the horse stance was a basic form in nearly all taijutsu styles, there was something unique and indescribable about the stance taken by practitioners of the Eigi style.

The Uzumaki heir was even more shocked when the air around the blond began to distort with VISIBLE waves of chakra…RED chakra.

What…what the hell!?! What is this!?! he wondered, How can…its not possible! What is this chakra!?!

oOoOoOo

Around the arena, similar thoughts were echoing through the other competitors and spectators.

Sarutobi's eyes were wide both in awe. That chakra…the power of the Kyuubi! he thought, Jiraiya, how far did you take Arashi's boy?

Sakura was watching in amazement as her loudmouth teammate seemed to grow stronger suddenly. "Naruto…oh, wow," she whispered, "How…how did you get so strong so fast?!"

Hinata and Kin both smiled as they watched the events. Hinata was proud of the blond, and once again in awe of his determination. I won't ever give up either, Naruto-kun, she thought, I'll become strong…I have teacher around to show me the way.

Kin noticed her new friend's blush, smiling as she watched the blond begin to flex his hands. You really are something, Naruto-san, she thought, I can see why Hinata admires you so much…that bull-headedness of yours. You just don't quit. She smirked slightly. And you're pretty cute to boot.

In their section of the Daimyo's booth, Kagura and Kanna were also staring in shock. Kagura's fingers were white as she gripped her seat, as she stared down into the eyes of the child she had abandoned.

Arashi's eyes were a pale blue, similar to the trademark eyes of the Yamanaka clan. Naruto had inherited her eyes; a much more vivid shade of blue that seemed to light up like cobalt in certain lights.

However, Arashi's eyes had a unique characteristic. When he was angry…well and truly furious in fact, his blue eyes took on a glint that could cause even the most stout member of the ANBU quail in fear.

Naruto…had inherited that trait from him.

"Arashi…" she whispered, seeing the spirit of her dead husband over her own forsaken son's form. For an instant, she was certain that the spirit had looked right at her…even through her.

She sensed…disappointment.

Kanna stared at her little brother, eyes wide as the ground around him began to tremble and shake with the force of the chakra he was exuding. Part of her was frightened, as she recalled the stories the elders had forced her to listen to countless times over the years.

Her brother was a disgrace.

A stain on the clan's honor.

…a monster in human skin.

It was wrong for a part of her to feel this way, she knew. Oh, she could explain it of course; why she felt these things. Eight plus years of 'education' on the matter could do that to a person…but it was still wrong.

However…to her own surprise…she felt something else as he looked up at that spoiled brat, Taro.

She was…proud. Proud that her brother (and she winced, realizing that after eight years she really had no right to call him that) had achieved such strength. He had no advantages, unlike his cousin…and even with the odds against him, he was about…to win.

Do it, otouto, she thought. Prove your strength!

oOoOoOo

Taro panted under the weight of the killing intent his foe was exuding. It was oppressive, and it seemed painful to even breath.

I…don't…have much chakra left, the dark haired boy thought, pushing his unease to the side, and focusing on what he had to do, I can't…let this…freak…beat me!

He slid back down into the horse stance, focusing on channeling his chakra as his mind returned to the state he needed. He had to use the Battle Language again.

He began to say the words, not paying attention as his foe began to speak as well.

As he reached the last stanza, he decided to focus his energy into one last 'Blade' attack. He began concentrating the chakra into his right leg, before releasing a burst to propel himself upwards.

"MY ONE BLOW IS INVINCIBLE!" he shouted, before hearing something that caused his heart to freeze.

"MY ONE BLOW IS INVINCIBLE!" the outcast shouted, as he stomped his foot, leaping upwards as well.

The Uzumaki heir's eyes widened in fear…as the blond boy began to flip backwards, a haze of red chakra forming was his legs swung upwards. With a shout, the blonde let loose a torrent of crimson energy directly at him as he descended for his own kick.

The energy washed over him, causing him to scream in pain, even as he was re-launched into the air, tumbling end over end. He remained aloft for a few seconds, before crashing down and landing in a jumble of limbs and dust.

Naruto panted, even as he felt his legs ache from the strain of the Kyuubi's chakra surging through him. He grinned as Taro landed, even as the boy cried out in pain. He started walking forward, catching the dark haired boys eyes as they reflected his fear.

"Eigi…ryu," Naruto growled out, "Secret technique…Scythe."

"What…what are…NO! Stay back!" Taro shouted, trying to struggle to his feat.

"I…still…have chakra," Naruto replied, "And you…still owe Hinata-chan…an apology."

Taro and the audience gaped at the blond, even as the girl in question blushed deeply while her new friend smiled brightly. The downed Uzumaki glared at his blonde rival, before spitting at his feet.

"I…won't…" Taro started, only to have his eyes widen when Naruto formed a VERY familiar seal.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu," the blonde intoned, as a group of ten clones formed around him and his cousin. "I…told you…I'd beat the sense into your bones if I had to." The blond grinned. "I guess now I get to do it…literally."

The clones leapt.

oOoOoOo

What followed was painful to watch for some, educational for others…and damn funny for the rest.

Anko, who had arrived just in time to see Naruto's 'Scythe' attack, couldn't help but laugh as the blond landed a 'sennin goroshi' on the now black and blue heir.

Many men in the audience winced when an errant kick from one of the clones nearly ended any chance of Taro continuing the Uzumaki name.

Other's simply stared as Naruto asked for permission to drag the beaten boy up to the stands. Genma, with a quick glance at the Hokage (who gave a quick nod), agreed to the request.

Naruto proceded to literally drag the teary-eyed Taro up to the stands, taking care to bump the boy's head on each step, as he brought him before Hinata and Kin.

"Now," Naruto said, "I believe you have something to say? Hmmm?"

Taro whimpered, drawing a smirk from the kunoichi who had seen his little stunt in the prelims. "I'm…sorry…I stepped on…your…breast," Taro stuttered, letting out a sharp cry as Naruto twisted his arm. "Please…forgive me…Hinata…sama."

Hinata gaped at that, before nodding. "I'll…dismiss the insult," she replied, "But I won't…ever…forget, Uzumaki Taro."

"Cool," Naruto said, his trademark grin gracing his face again, as he dragged the boy back into the arena.

"Sousha, Uzumaki Naruto," Genma called out.

The announcement was pretty much academic at that point.

Translations

1) Daihino Tetsu - "Steel of the Great Fire". The Daimyo of Hi no Kuni (for this fic at least

2) Futon: Saihatsu sono keitaku - Wind Release: Return the Favor. Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Combat supplementary. Using his chakra to create a 'glove' around his body, Taro and collect the concussive force of other futon jutsus, explosive notes, suiton, raiton, and even doton jutsus. Fire, of course, will defeat the jutsu.

Users: Uzumaki Taro. His sole original technique, he will share the secret with no one.

AN: I really had to work on this chapter. No matter what I did, it just didn't want to come out right. Even now, I'm still not too sure about it, but I can't really see how to improve it any more.

Anyway, I'm going to start up on the next chapter tomorrow (yay for days off from college!), but I can't give an E.T.A as to when I'll have it out.

Thanks for being patient folks!


End file.
